


Novel Encounters

by vi_britannia



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Because none of our favourite dorks can ask the other out, Gino is the best wing man, Jealous Lelouch, M/M, Milly is the best wing woman, Mutual Pining, Nunnally isn't disabled/blind, Obligatory beach chapter, R2 Spoilers, Slow Burn, Suzaku takes buzzfeed quizzes bc why the hell not, This kinda started as a coffee shop AU and now it kinda isn't???, Writer!Lelouch, Yes really heed my warning, barista!suzaku, send help, someone pls help them, uh oh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 26,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23573215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vi_britannia/pseuds/vi_britannia
Summary: Lelouch Lamperouge is renowned in the world of literature only through his pseudonym,Zero.Best known as the author ofCode Geass, fans have been eagerly awaiting the next instalment of the series. However, they soon come to find that Zero is losing his touch.Faced with the loss of his passion, Lelouch desperately attempts to find inspiration, and he finds it in the unlikeliest of places – a coffee shop down the road, where he crosses paths with a green-eyed barista that apparently holds a profound dislike for theCode Geassseries.
Relationships: Kururugi Suzaku & Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Kururugi Suzaku/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Slight Milly/Rivalz
Comments: 87
Kudos: 130





	1. Writer's Block

**Author's Note:**

> In which a writer with writer’s block writes about writer’s block ;)
> 
> Special thanks to:  
> -@sillygrl  
> -@Loto_yu  
> -@Bearixt  
> -@TanakaYuuko  
> I know you guys always leave comments on pretty much all my fics and I just want to say thank you all ♡
> 
> Also fair warning, this is like the last of the fluffy fics (for now). The one I'm currently working on is pretty much _angst central._ I played around with the AO3 features and thought if I constantly updated it as a 'draft work' I can upload it all at once when I finished it, but apparently not :/
> 
> But ANYWAY, enough of my rambling. Hope you enjoy!!!

The cursor blinked endlessly and the pages on his notebook remained blank. 

Lelouch tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently, head perking up when an idea popped into his head so briefly that he could have easily missed it. He flexed his hands over the dimly lit keyboard, typing out a sentence and reading it over, before shaking his head and holding the backspace key, deleting the entire line altogether. 

_“_ No. This isn’t good enough,” he grumbled, massaging his temples firmly and slumping his shoulders. 

The first line was usually the hardest part. 

He was always told that it was a crucial point of any story – either decidedly _making or breaking_ the rest of it, and he’s been stuck at this point for weeks. 

Ideas no longer came to him left, right, and centre like they used to, and it was detrimental to his plans of _at the very least_ submitting a draft of the next instalment of the _Code Geass_ series by the end of the year. 

If he had to be _truly_ honest, at this rate, he wouldn’t even have it by next year. 

Filled with frustration, he sighs loudly, staring at the untouched fountain pen on the table – a birthday present from one of his friends, Shirley, in the hopes of rekindling his passion for the art of writing when he shared his predicament. 

He groaned, knowing all too well that staring at the little black writing tool wasn’t going to magically draw him inspiration, or more conveniently, give him _some_ direction for his next book. 

Lelouch glanced at the time on his watch. 

_9:37 P.M._

The day had come and gone quickly, and he hadn’t even realised. His attention was focused entirely on the faint glow of his laptop screen – _on that taunting blinking cursor_ , and the crisp white pages of notes he has scribbled on, only to be ripped off the pad and sent to the growing pile of crumpled paper laying under his desk. 

It was starting to become a sad trend. 

He’d wake up early despite a distinct lack of sleep from the night before, pour himself a cup of black coffee, prepare some toast because he couldn’t be bothered making anything else, power his work laptop on, and _stare_. 

Of course, he wasn’t exactly _just staring_ , _per se_ , he was thinking. He was always thinking – going over the disturbingly less frequent ideas popping in his head, indulging them for a minute or two, only to throw them away with a shake of his head accompanied with the grim conclusion that it just wasn’t going to cut it. 

Lelouch leaned back in his computer chair, twisting himself from side to side as he tried to come up with the major plot points of the story. 

_No such luck_ , unsurprisingly, and he entertains the idea of going somewhere else in the off chance a change in scenery might help. 

The raven pressed his mouth in a firm line, grabbing a copy of the first _Code Geass_ book entitled _Rebellion_ and stuffing the paperback in his brown shoulder bag. He shrugged on his black coat and wrapped a grey scarf around his neck, stepping out of his small Pendragon home and greeted by the cool winter air. 

He shivered slightly, but welcomed the cold, watching the smoke from his mouth as he breathed in and out disappear without a trace. 

Feeling the tips of his fingers start to go numb, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets before he started walking in the general direction towards the city centre. 

He doubted many places were open at this time of night, but desperate to be anywhere else _but at home_ , he continued on his quest anyway, violet eyes searching the signs on the shops as he strolled past. 

Lelouch nearly gave up, losing hope in the midst of unlit signages and keepers closing up shop. That is, until the faint glow of fairy lights at the end of a quiet alley catches his attention. 

Pleased with himself, he walks up to the store, and the bell lets out a soft chime to signal his arrival. 

The smell of coffee hits him first – a beautifully rich aroma laced with the sweet tones of cinnamon that filled the entirety of the quaint coffee shop. 

“Welcome to the Knights of the Round Table, how can I help you?” 

Violet eyes flicked from the café’s interior to the brunet behind the register, sporting emerald green eyes and a wide smile – right off the bat he could tell it wasn’t one of those standard customer service smiles, and just by looking at him, Lelouch was filled with a sense of warmth. 

It was a genuine smile. 

“Hello, er,” he glanced at the name embroidered on his work uniform, “Arthur?” 

The brunet’s cheeks tinged scarlet for a brief moment, adjusting his black apron. “ _Suzaku_ ,” he blurted out. “My name is actually Suzaku. It’s just that we have a Camelot theme here, hence the café being called _Knights of the Round Table_.” 

“Ah,” Lelouch let out a little smile. “That makes sense.” 

Suzaku cleared his throat, “Uhm, so what can I get you?” 

He looked up, scanning the board hanging above the counter out of habit before he stopped himself, violet eyes meeting patiently waiting green irises. It wasn’t like he ordered anything else, but he found the employee to be an interesting character, so he subconsciously prolonged his stay at the counter. “A long black.” 

There was also a small display of food right by the counter. Cookies in large glass jars, muffins and cupcakes neatly organised next to each other in different chocolate flavours, and even a couple of cakes. His stomach let out a quiet rumble at the sight, and that in itself made its choice for him. “And a white chocolate and raspberry muffin, please.” 

“Coming right up,” Suzaku pursed his lips for a brief moment as he punched the raven’s order into the register, and the raven tilted his head. It was quickly replaced with _that smile_. 

“You seem disappointed with my order,” Lelouch raised an eyebrow, amusement speckled in his eyes. 

Suzaku’s eyes widened. “Ah, wait, _how did you_ \- what?” 

“I’m told I can read people well.” 

The brunet bit his lip. “You’re not going to believe me if I tell you.” 

Surely this night was becoming a lot more interesting than he ever imagined it would be… and he appreciated the change. _A lot_ , actually. 

Seeing as he was the only customer and he doubted any would come this late at night, he decided to push the investigation further, now genuinely curious. 

“Try me.” He leaned forward, a sparkle of amusement flickering in his eyes. 

“I’ve been working at this coffee shop since my first year at university,” the barista explained, “And I suppose at one point I just started guessing people’s orders before they tell me. I tend to have the late-night shifts, so it’s been the best way I found to pass the time.” 

Lelouch mused, “I assume you got mine wrong, then?” 

“I thought you were a Mocha type of guy,” he shrugged. 

Biting back a laugh, Lelouch smiled instead. “A Mocha, huh?” He looked up at the coffee menu, reading over the composition of whatever a _Mocha_ was. _Coffee and chocolate, hm?_ He supposed there was no possible way the combination could end horribly, so he puts his trust into the barista’s capable hands. “I suppose I can try something different tonight.” 

Suzaku smiled. “You won’t regret it!” 

Lelouch paid for the coffee and the muffin, picking one of the seats by the window, setting his bag down and taking out the paperback. 

He leafed to the first chapter, reading the text and flicking the page as he finished each one. 

The sound of the frothing machine filled the coffee shop for a brief time, and Suzaku came out with a steaming cup of coffee in a mug shortly after and a heated up muffin on a plain white plate. 

When he noticed the barista approaching, he quickly finished the page and stuffed the bookmark in the book, setting it down. 

“Code Geass, huh?” Suzaku set the coffee and the plate in front of the raven. “I know a lot of people that’s been raving about that series. I heard Zero’s announced that another book is coming, so they’ve been pretty excited for that too. I read it myself, but I don’t understand the hype.” 

“You didn’t like it?” 

“Not really,” the brunet admitted. “But I don’t want to spoil the series for you-“ 

Lelouch shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’m actually re-reading it, and I like discussing the books with others. Did you think it was missing something?” He tried to casually ask. On the outside, he was perfectly calm and composed, hiding the overwhelming gut-wrenching disappointment he was hiding deep inside. 

He knew not everyone would like his book. Having everyone like it without fault was virtually impossible, after all, but somehow, he wanted to pry deeper into the barista’s perspective. Deep into the disillusionment that maybe, _just maybe,_ he could find what he’s been looking for. The _missing piece_ that’s been irking at him since he finished the first few books. 

“I don’t understand the main character’s motives,” Suzaku bit his lip. “There are other ways to change the world and bloodshed shouldn’t be the first option.” 

“Are you suggesting that he can change it from within?” Lelouch raised an eyebrow. 

The idea never crossed him, and it was very unlikely it never would have if Suzaku never brought it up. 

_Code Geass_ followed the story of an exiled prince attempting to overthrow his father’s empire for the sole reason of creating a gentler world for his sister. He brought down the hammer of justice on corrupt officials and those that abused the system, trying to change the world into a better place. He acted as a vigilante, punishing those that were wrong through death. 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. Maybe he could have proven himself through diplomatic means to resolve political conflict? As a son of the emperor, he could have used his position of power to change the way things are run. Even if he wasn’t _the_ emperor, being a prince _surely_ would make a difference, wouldn’t it?” 

Lelouch brought the cup of coffee to his lips, taking a sip of the bitter liquid now laced with the sweetness of chocolate. He remarked internally that this was a pretty good coffee, and when he tried a bite of the muffin, he wasn’t disappointed. 

“The world isn’t all filled with bad people. I’m sure if the prince did the right thing, others would follow him until the very end. Humanity isn’t lost, you know?” 

“Ah,” Lelouch licked his lips. “I see.” 

“But that could just be me,” Suzaku shrugged. “I know it’s a naïve way of thinking… but I genuinely believe people will make the correct choice and fight for what’s right.” 

“It is certainly an interesting perspective,” the raven commented, taking in more of the coffee. 

Suzaku chuckled then, and after noticing the writer’s questioning stare, indulged his unspoken question, “A lot of my friends think my opinion on the series is crazy. You might just be the first one who hasn’t laughed at me.” 

“I understand where you are coming from,” violet eyes flicked over to the lights that dimly illuminated the café’s exterior through the window, “It doesn’t hurt to prefer diplomatic approaches, though I was thinking with the nature of the main character’s family and those in the seat of power, it might have not been possible.” 

“I don’t think it would hurt to try at the very least,” Suzaku shrugged. “Besides, you’ll never know unless you do.” 

It was naïve, of course. Even Suzaku knew that. 

But the way he spoke made Lelouch wonder about considering different routes in his story, and all future stories, for that matter. There was determination _loud and clear_ in his eyes, and he considered the idea that if people could see that for themselves, they might just be convinced otherwise. 

_Huh_ , Lelouch smiled. This night truly was more interesting than he thought it would be. 


	2. Just Another Day

The bell chimed, marking the customer’s departure. 

Biting his lip, Suzaku slumped behind the counter, taking out a copy of _Code Geass: Rebellion R2_ , and locating the bookmark he was _sure_ he left on the last page from the other night. 

_Aha, there it is,_ he let out a breath of relief when he found it. 

It was a Wednesday, and the time was 2:24 P.M. The café was the quietest it has been all week, and there was nothing left to do in the quaint coffee shop. His shift ended shortly, and there was no other way to pass the time. 

“ _Suzaku Kururugi_ ,” his co-worker and roommate, Gino Weinberg, bounced in front of the counter, as bubbly and lively as ever. “I never thought I’d see the day! You said you hated Code Geass,” he raised an eyebrow, accompanied with a knowing look. 

Green eyes flicked over to excited bright blue ones, “I just… thought I’d give it another chance is all.” 

The Britannian propped himself on the counter. “And? Have you changed your mind yet?” 

“No. I still hate it. Like I said, there’s too much blood,” he sighed, shutting the paperback and setting it on the counter. 

“Says the one re-reading it,” Gino teased. “And not only that, but you’re on the _second book_.” 

Suzaku shrugged. “Zero is yet to release the rest of the series… so it might just change my mind.” 

“There’s been no word other than another book is coming and well, no one actually knows what Zero looks like so there’s no one to interview about it besides his representatives at _Ashford Books_ ,” Gino frowned. “R1 was really good but R2 took kind of a nosedive. Hopefully the next instalment redeems the series.” 

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Suzaku checked the time, noting it was the end of his shift. “And it’s time for me to go.” He untied his black apron, shoving it in his backpack, then writing out his timecard for the day. He ran his eye down the roster, writing down his shifts on the side of his hand. 

“Oh, right, I almost forgot,” Gino called out as Suzaku’s hand laid flat on the door. “I was thinking… we should hang out sometime. There’s that new bar downtown that everyone seems to like.” 

Before Suzaku could open his mouth to refuse, Gino pouted. “Come on, Suzaku. You’re my best buddy and we haven’t been spending a lot of time together recently.” 

_To be fair,_ Suzaku started the argument in his head. _It’s finals and everyone’s heads have to stay in the game otherwise you risk having to delay your graduation by repeating a few subjects._

The brunet has worked tooth and nail for the past three years to get this far, and he wasn’t going let his guard down. Not now, more than anything. 

He sighed, “Fine, but it has to be after my last exam.” 

It was on a Friday afternoon for _Advanced Engineering_. It was the subject he was dreading the most, but at this stage, he was more or less ready for the test, just wanting to get it over and done with. 

Gino stuck his tongue out. “You’re such a nerd, but I’ll take it. _”_ He leaned against the counter, “Now I’m excited. You might even find someone,” the Britannian wiggled his eyebrows. 

Suzaku waved him off, “Don’t push it!” He pushed the door open, slinging his backpack over his shoulder lazily. 

“I’ll see you around, Suzaku!” 

The brunet nodded, waving his friend goodbye and beginning his short trek to their shared apartment. 

It was funny that despite being roommates (and having been so since his first year at Pendragon University), they didn’t see each other often. If anything, they saw each other more often at work than at home or around the university campus. 

Gino was frequently out and about, engaging in many social activities and clubs. If he wasn’t doing that, then he was at work, often only coming home in the wee hours of the morning, after Suzaku’s closed off the shop and by then, already fast asleep. 

Though in saying that, he did regard the blond Britannian as his closest friend… as Suzaku never really had the time nor the interest to make any others. 

He was fine with that, though he did find himself just a little bit lonely every now and then. 

Engrossed in his thoughts, Suzaku nearly missed the main entrance of the small brick building, and he doubled back to get inside. 

Lucky for him and Gino, their unit was on the ground floor, so that saved them from waiting for the painstakingly slow elevator that was dangerously close to meeting its end (if you had to ask Suzaku, he would argue it could easily be part of a set from a horror movie). 

He checked their letterbox, spotting the logo of their energy provider in the top corner of the lone envelope. He shoved it in his bag before unlocking the apartment door, eager to rest after a long day at work. 

Suzaku started at 7:00 A.M. that day, and the early morning rush had him absolutely spent. 

Once he was inside, Suzaku relished in the warmth of the apartment – a big difference to the crazy low temperatures that graced the outdoors during the winter season, and he pinned the letter on the fridge before slumping on the couch, dropping his bag on the floor with a dull thud. 

His cat, Arthur, curled up on his chest and meowed faintly, bringing a smile to Suzaku’s face. “Ah, hello Arthur. You’re in a good mood today,” he cooed, tapping the feline’s nose with his finger… before the same finger was swallowed by the now angry cat’s mouth, small yet ferocious teeth dangerously close to piercing his skin. 

“There it is,” Suzaku mused, pulling his finger back. 

Arthur rose quickly, jumping off him and laying on the ground instead to groom himself. 

His alias at the café was a homage to this grey feline that Suzaku loved so (whether Arthur loves him back is questionable… though Suzaku wanted nothing more than to believe he did), and he thought it was a fitting coincidence. 

It was an odd store policy that had to be upheld regardless. There weren’t many people that even noticed, and he had met so many people that came and went that he never really kept track of them. 

_Of course, there was that violet-eyed boy from the other night,_ Suzaku hummed. He never had the chance to ask for the raven’s name, but they spoke a lot. Mostly about the Code Geass books, but towards the end, they started talking about themselves. They talked until the shop had closed, and after, they wandered into separate directions home and that was that. 

Monday nights particularly were _very_ quiet, and him being the only available employee for the night, was the lucky one who got the closing shift. 

But he had no regrets, and the night was in itself… an interesting change, to say the least, and deep inside, he couldn’t help but hope to see that same boy again. 

He picked up the book from his bag, flipping back to the section he left off. His eyes scanned down the page, but as he did, he wondered if he was reading the series to engage in more conversation with _him_. 

_But what was the point?_ Suzaku hadn’t seen him come in the café before that other night, and he doubted he ever would again. 

Arthur jumped onto the coffee table, startling him and green eyes locked its gaze on his cat, tilting his head sideways as if in confusion. 

“What?” Suzaku raised an eyebrow. “Not you too, Arthur.” 

There was no response – only Arthur deciding to lay down and continue staring at him, paws folded underneath his chest. 

He supposed it was a good series after all. The writing style sewed the words together intricately, allowing consistent fluidity. The concept in itself was very original, exploring the powers of _Geass_ , the power of kings. 

Suzaku appreciated the limitations of the powers bestowed on its holders, not even wanting to consider how much blood would be shed in the story should there be no limit to them. 

“You know, Arthur, if I existed in this world, I’d try to rise up the ranks within the Britannian military. I’d get into that fancy elite guards of the emperor, and become the best of them all,” he licked his lips. “And maybe then I can just convince that prince to consider other options somehow…” 

He shook his head, “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself.” 

Green eyes flicked up to the calendar hanging up on the wall, and he frowned, not really excited for his upcoming examination. Obviously being exams, it represented a chunky portion of the final mark, and he jumped off the couch, grabbing his books from the large bookcase in the living room, and started his review in the study. 

Arthur trailed behind him, now perched by the windowsill and basking in the warm sunlight. He just seemed to at ease, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Suzaku supposed he was a cat after all, and he figured his life was just a constant repeat of sleeping and eating. 

“Must be so easy to be a cat, huh, Arthur? Can we switch places by any chance?” 

Arthur let out an accusatory meow, yellow eyes locked on his with a firm glare. 

He raised his arms in surrender. “Yeah, yeah, I’m studying.” 


	3. The Ashford Wrath

“ _Lelouch Lamperouge!”_

The raven leaned against the door with widened eyes, feeling the door’s thump as his editor, Milly Ashford, bangs on the door with heavy fists. 

“I know you’re in there!” Her voice was slightly muffled because of the door that safely hid him. “Try to hide from me, I dare you, and I’ll tell Nunnally you aren’t eating healthy meals! Don’t think I haven’t spotted the instant noodles that you keep stocking in your pantry!” 

Lelouch unlocked the door immediately, head low. “I can’t believe you would stoop down to that level, Milly.” 

The blonde Britannian invited herself in, and her bright-eyed secretary followed behind her. “I’m very sorry for that, Lulu, you know how Milly can be sometimes,” Shirley bowed her head, wary of Milly’s scowl. 

“It’s no problem. I’m used to it.” 

He’d known Shirley from Pendragon University prior to him dropping out after the release of the first book of the _Code Geass_ series, and he was pleased to find her securing an internship with _Ashford Books,_ as he was aware the girl adored literature. What was unfortunate – was having to work with the wonderful ( _not_ ) Milly Ashford herself. 

“So… _Lelouch,”_ Milly smiled widely. “How’s that draft coming along? You know, the one due next month?” 

“It’s er, coming along great,” Lelouch smiled nervously. 

“Oh?” Blue eyes were bright, but evidently laced with suspicion. “Can I see it?” 

He tugged at his sleeves. “Of course not. You know the rules, Milly,” he smiled sweetly. 

Shirley’s gaze flicked between the two nervously, “Uh, guys-“ 

“Not even a little peek?” 

Lelouch shook his head. “No exceptions. You’ll have to wait until the deadline.” 

“How much have you written?” Milly took her phone out, scrolling through the screen. “And you better not lie to me, Lamperouge, because I’d know,” she turned the device around, showing Lelouch his sister’s contact proudly saved in her phone. 

He laughed awkwardly. “Uhm, about that, it’s a really funny story-“ 

“ _Answer me, Lamperouge.”_

“A couple of chapters.” 

There was a raise of her eyebrow, and Lelouch licked his lips. “About ten.” 

If you had asked him a couple of days ago, he would have said he hadn’t written a single thing, but now, Milly would never have guessed that was the case. 

_But_ , since that conversation with that barista, he’d been able to write non-stop, _the_ idea, the very one he’s been looking for, popping into his head and finally deciding it was good enough. 

After months of deciding which path the story would take, he finally came up with some direction, and he was _on fire_. 

“Huh,” Milly smirked. “Right on track then, if not only a little bit behind.” 

Lelouch shrugged. “Naturally.” 

Shirley let out a sigh of relief, “Oh thank goodness.” 

“If that’s the case,” the editor walked towards him, “Then you have some time to spare on Saturday, don’t you?” 

“I, uh- for what?” 

“To celebrate Shirley finishing her exams of course!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands. “There’s a new place that I’ve been hearing so much about, and we simply _must go_.” 

“Oh, Milly, it’s not a _must_ -“ Shirley argued, but was caught off by the raven. 

“Nonsense,” Lelouch smiled. “Of course I’ll go. Finishing your exams is something to be proud of, and I’m happy to be there to celebrate with you.” He cleared his throat, glancing at Milly, “Is anyone else coming?” 

She nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got Rivalz from the office coming too.” 

“Alright. Text me the address and I’ll be there.” 

“Good!” Milly beamed. “Now, I have to get going.” 

Lelouch nodded. “Very well. You can tell your father to rest at ease. I should be able to meet the deadline, _easy_.” 

“I’m glad. Well then, I’ll see you on Saturday!” She sing-sang as she headed out of the door. 

“Bye Lulu!” Shirley smiled and waved Lelouch goodbye as she ran after her, mumbling something about an interview she had to get to, and how _no,_ she did not have the time to stop by her favourite café for a vanilla milkshake. 

Lelouch chuckled, realising too quickly that nothing has changed at all with the quirky editor since they met her a few years ago - back when he was still enrolled at the university for his Law degree, and he had taken a few creative writing units as electives. 

He had always been interested in Literature, even going as far as writing a few short stories in his high school years. It was then that he worked on the skeletal framework that ended up becoming _Code Geass_ , and his teacher had connections with Ashford Books, and well… the rest was history. 

Lelouch signed a contract with Milly’s family publication company which produced the first instalment of _Code Geass_ shortly after (proven to be a raging success), and he had since dropped out of university to pursue his writing career, finding juggling the two absolutely exhausting. 

He had to choose, and he never regretted that choice. 

The writer shut his laptop, coming up to the instantaneous decision of taking it with him, gently placing it in the laptop section of his bag, and shrugging it over his chest. 

He traced his steps from the other night, finding the café in the same quiet alleyway. 

If he had to be honest, he wasn’t quite sure why he was there in the first place. He figured he wanted to thank the barista - _Suzaku_ , if he remembered correctly, but wasn’t too sure how. It wasn’t as if he could reveal he was Zero or anything like that. 

He shook the thoughts away, deciding he was just going to wing it. 

“Welcome to the Knights of the Round Table, how can I help you?” 

Violet eyes glanced at the man behind the counter. It wasn’t Suzaku, and the raven tried to hide his disappointed as he walked up to the blond, offering him a weak smile. He eyed the cursive writing on his uniform, “Hello Sir Tristan.” 

“That’s me,” he smiled, fingers poised over the register. 

Lelouch paused. “I’ll have a mocha and a white chocolate and raspberry muffin, please.” He handed the blond the exact change and dropped a dollar into the tip jar. 

He thought he was being foolish. Of course Suzaku wouldn’t be working _all the time_ , but for some reason the simple thought didn’t cross his head before he came there. 

Taking his laptop out and entering his password, he sighed, picking up from where he left off and typing away. 

At one point, the barista had carefully placed the heated muffin and the coffee next to him, and Lelouch smiled, thanking him. 

He picked up the warm coffee cup, lifting it up to his lips to sip carefully, and… he had to admit it was good, but not _as good_ as the one from the other night. 

But this will have to do. Maybe he’ll be able to catch Suzaku another time. 

*** 

All too soon, Saturday came. 

There was an impatient car horn beeping non-stop outside his house, and that was his cue to get going. 

He gave himself a quick once-over though the bathroom mirror, flicking the ebony strands covering his eyes to the side. He grabbed his black coat, shrugging it on quickly. Lelouch checked his pockets and confirmed he had his keys, wallet, and phone, and he was ready to go. 

Another angry belt of the horn sent Lelouch out of his home, locking the door and getting into Milly’s car. 

“Hey Lelouch!” Milly greeted excitedly from the passenger seat. 

Rivalz gave him a happy wave from his place in the driver’s side, and Lelouch chuckled. He figured that Rivalz would end up being designated driver in the end. 

From beside him, Shirley smiled widely. “Lulu!” 

“Hey,” he raised an eyebrow. “Anything interesting happen during pre-drinks?” 

Milly huffed, “No, because you weren’t there,” she folded her arms over her chest. “ _And_ because you didn’t come, you need to make up for it by getting drunk tonight!” 

“Yeah, right,” Lelouch waved her off, watching the buildings pass them with every turn. “You can certainly try.” 

“Oh, _Lulu,_ ” Milly smirked. “You underestimate my abilities and that _wounds me_.” 

Shirley pouted. “C’mon Lulu, you _have to_! We’re celebrating!” 

“I’ll drink _a little_.” 

Rivalz shrugged. “That’s a first in itself, so I say just take it or leave it.” 

Inside, Lelouch let out a sigh of relief, reminding himself to thank Rivalz later on for saving him. 

Shirley cheered, “ _Yes!_ ” 

“We should be there soon, so sit tight!” Rivalz announced, stepping on the accelerator when the light turned green. 

For the rest of the ride, Lelouch spoke with Shirley, mainly about her studies and her plans after graduation, from which he gathered she was going to continue her employment with _Ashford Books_ but shift from casual work to full-time. From the sounds of it, Milly was also helping Shirley with the path of becoming an editor like herself. 

Rivalz parked the black sedan into an available spot, and everyone filed out of the vehicle, making their way inside the venue. 

There was a line outside, but as they luckily booked a table, they were able to slip past them. 

For that, Lelouch was thankful, as that meant they didn’t have to stay out in the cold longer than they have to. 

The faint live music from when they were outside started to become louder and clearer, ringing in his ears by the time they fully made it inside. Most of the crowd appeared to be students from the nearby university, filling the dance floor and the seats. 

They were guided deeper into the dimly lit room by one of the staff, who stopped in front of an empty booth and gestured at the table. 

Milly disappeared for a brief moment, emerging out of nowhere with a tray of drinks. “It’s time to get this party started!” 

“What… are those?” _And when did you have the time to get them?_ Violet eyes stared at the dark liquid that Shirley and Milly were both happily chugging. __

“Long Island Iced Teas,” the blonde Britannian smirked. 

“We’re starting off with _Long Island Iced Teas_?” Off the top of his head, he recalled at the _very least_ five different kinds of alcohol in the drink. 

Trust Milly Ashford to offer one of the strongest cocktails in existence to start the night off with. Surely Milly was planning to kill them all. 

Shirley watched him with wide eyes, and Lelouch grabbed one of the glasses. He tipped the cool glass in his mouth, finding that it actually tasted pretty good. 

“Don’t drink too fast,” Lelouch raised an eyebrow at the two girls that were _nearly_ finished with their respective drinks. “Or you’ll end up dead in a ditch somewhere.” 

Rivalz piped in, “I actually second that. Please don’t die in a ditch somewhere.” 

Milly only rolled her eyes, deciding she wanted to dance with Shirley, so off they went, moving along to the beat with many others in the young crowd. 

“Have you made your move on Milly yet?” Lelouch asked Rivalz as he continued drinking his cocktail. 

The blue-haired male dropped his head. “I can’t bring myself to do it.” 

“You’ve been in love with her _for years!_ ” he took another sip. “And I’m sure she likes you back, Rivalz.” 

“C’mon Lelouch, you don’t really think that, do you?” Rivalz frowned, head turning to Milly’s direction, smiling fondly as she danced with Shirley. 

“Trust me, I do,” Lelouch smiled. “You just don’t see the way she looks at you.” 

Rivalz smiled a little, expression lifting already. “You’ll see, once I gather up the courage, I’ll do it once and for all. I, Rivalz Cardemonde, will ask Milly Ashford out on a date!” 

“You’re going to ask who the what now?” A voice behind them piped in, and Rivalz turned around slowly. 

He laughed awkwardly. “How much of that did you hear, Milly?” 

“Enough!” Milly exclaimed. “Do you really like me, Rivalz? _Do you?_ ” 

“I-“ Rivalz stopped abruptly like a deer in headlights. He looked up at Lelouch, who urged him to continue, “ _Yes,”_ he said with newfound determination. “I do like you, Milly, and you’d make me the happiest man alive if you agree to go on a date with me.” 

Shirley clapped her hands. “Oh, how romantic!” 

The blonde Britannian grinned, love flashing in her blue eyes. “Yes, yes, a million times yes! I’ve been waiting for such a long time!” 

Lelouch sighed. “Milly, if you’ve liked him for so long, why didn’t _you_ ask him out?” 

She pouted. “Because it wouldn’t be as dramatic.” 

Rivalz looked like he was on cloud nine, and Lelouch wasn’t going to disturb that. The boy didn’t even pay attention to Milly’s comment, stuck in his very own version of la la land. 

“This calls for another _another_ celebration!” Milly announced happily. “It’s your turn to grab our drinks, Lulu!” 

“Alright, alright,” Lelouch raised his arms in surrender. He gulped the rest of his drink, which he soon regretted, as the sudden intake of the alcohol sent his mind reeling. 

He blinked, finding himself adjusting to the influx of alcohol in his system. 

Lelouch made his way to the bar, leaning against the counter and gave the bartender his order with a slip of his card to pay for the drinks. 

There was a boy next to him, and the bartender just handed over a tray of about twelve shots. _Tequila_ , from the looks of it. 

“You drinking all that yourself?” Lelouch couldn’t help but joke. He reprimanded himself soon after – realising that maybe the alcohol has gone to this head far quicker than he thought it would. It certainly wasn’t like him to just chat with random strangers, much less joke around with them. 

The boy turned, staring at him with wide green eyes. “Oh, it’s you!” 

“ _Su-za-ku!_ ” Lelouch enunciated, smiling. 

The bartender has since finished preparing his drinks, and he lifted the tray off the counter, finding his balance eventually. 

“What are you doing here?” Suzaku grinned. 

“Celebrating with friends… How about you?” 

“Doing the exact same thing, actually,” the brunet chuckled. “Exams are over so we’re out for the night to celebrate too.” 

“I believe a congratulations are in order then, _Sir Arthur_ ,” he bowed slightly, nearly tipping the drinks over. 

From his peripheral vision, he spotted Milly with her hands on her hips, and Lelouch gulped. “I have to go. Enjoy your celebration!” 

Suzaku blinked. “You… you too.” 

Lelouch smiled at him before heading back to their table. Milly’s impatience quickly dissipated when she got her drink, Shirley was all too happy to have another, and Rivalz was a space cadet. 

_Ah,_ this was going to be a long night. 


	4. Happy Coincidences

Suzaku would sneak glances at the raven, wondering if the universe brought on this crazy coincidence. 

He supposed that the chances of running into each other in a city as big as Pendragon was very slim, _but_ considering they were in the bar that was the current talk of the town, it might have tipped the scales slightly in their favour. 

“Okay guys, one, two, three, go!” Kallen took her shot, and so did everyone else. 

Green eyes flicked back to the violet-eyed boy, and the burning sensation in his throat was all but forgotten. 

_Should I say something?_ Suzaku bit his lip. _Was it weird if I walked up to him and asked for his name?_

“Oi, Suzaku!” Gino tapped him on the shoulder, and he blinked, giving the blond Britannian his full attention. 

“Yeah?” 

“Who are you staring at?” 

Gino’s question piqued Anya and Kallen’s interest, and they both leaned forward, wanting to know more. 

He tugged at his collar, laughing nervously, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Kallen rolled her eyes, “Don’t think we haven’t noticed you sneaking glances over in that direction. We’ve only been letting you go on because we’re trying to figure out who it is,” she mumbled. “So far no luck, so just spill it, Kururugi.” 

Amidst the deafening noises, one stood out the most. _His_ laugh, and it caught the brunet so off guard that he twirled around to find him heading to the bar for another round of drinks with his blonde friend. 

“Hey!” Gino jumped. “That’s the guy that came in the other day.” 

“He came in the other day?” he blurted out, and the group was shortly invested in Suzaku’s sudden interest. 

Since that night, he hadn’t seen him again, and he couldn’t help but feel a tad disappointed. He did have fewer shifts in the past week due to exams, and they tended to be in the morning, when it was busy, so he could see how they could have easily missed each other. 

“Do you know him?” Anya piped in. Flash emitted from her camera as she took a photo of Suzaku’s shocked face. 

There was no point lying now, so he might as well come clean. His friends would drill it out of him somehow. “Uh… kind of? He came in on Monday night.” 

“ _Aha!_ So it’s because of him, isn’t it?” Gino bounced. “Why you’re reading the _Code Geass_ series? When he came in the other day he had a copy of the book with him but I didn’t think much of it because I’ve never seen him before,” he sighed. “Actually, come to think of it, he _did_ look disappointed to see me, and the last time anyone’s been disappointed to see me was… like _never_.” 

His shoulders slumped. “Yeah…” 

“What are you waiting for then? Go talk to him!” Kallen shooed him away. 

“I can’t just walk up to him!” Suzaku huffed. “That would be… weird.” 

“ _Weird?_ ” Gino raised an eyebrow. “I can assure you that in here _of all places_ , it’s probably the least weird thing you could do.” 

Kallen folded her arms over her chest. “Besides, you already know each other, so that makes it less weird too.” 

“I don’t even know his name,” Suzaku mumbled quietly. 

There was another flash. “Squad, we need to roll out and complete operation: get Suzaku a boyfriend.” 

“No!” the brunet waved his arms like a maniac. “No, we are _not_ doing that-“ 

“ _Hello_ ,” a voice from behind them piped in, and everyone turned their attention to the girl. “Now, I’m under the impression that Lelouch here knows _one of you_ because he keeps sneaking glances at this table, and naturally, being of his best friends, _I need to know_. Now, who is it?” 

_Lelouch_ , huh? Suzaku couldn’t help but smile in triumph. _I got his name!_

The raven ran after his friend, tugging at her arm, “ _Milly_ ,” he hissed. “Stop bothering these people. Let’s just go back. _Oh, hey look_ , your cocktails are ready!” He turned around, but the Britannian kept a death grip on him. 

“ _But Lelouch,_ ” she whined. “You never come out of the house. It’s my obligation as your friend to meet _your friends_.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. _You’re drunk._ ” 

Milly giggled. “No, _you’re_ drunk.” 

Gino flashed a smile at them. “Hey.” 

Lelouch blinked, momentarily forgetting about Milly. “Oh, _Tristan,_ wasn’t it?” 

“Well, you’re not wrong,” he chuckled. “I’m Gino. This is Anya, Kallen, and of course, you seem to know Suzaku? We all work at the café.” 

“Pleasure to meet you all,” the raven smiled. “Now, I’m terribly sorry about Milly, but we best get going-“ 

“Why don’t you join us?” Suzaku blurted out. “We have… plenty of room.” He risked a look at his friends behind Lelouch, who all gave him a proud thumbs up. 

He wasn’t sure what came over him then. All he knew was that Lelouch was leaving and… well, he didn’t want him to leave just _yet_. 

Milly clapped her hands. “Yay! I’m going to go grab everyone else!” 

The Ashford heiress ran away before he could say anything else, and he sighed, turning around to Suzaku’s group. “Sorry about that…” he scratched the back of his head, offering an apologetic smile. 

“It’s fine,” Gino waved it off, and Lelouch smiled, taking the seat next to Suzaku. 

“So… how do you know each other?” He asked the group curiously. 

“We actually knew each other before work,” Kallen started. “I’m in a few Engineering classes with Suzaku so that’s how I first met him. Suzaku’s been roommates with Gino since the beginning of time, and Gino and Anya knew each other from high school,” she explained, taking a swig of her drink. 

“And that’s how the squad was born,” Gino announced proudly. 

“Engineering, huh?” Violet eyes locked onto emerald greens, and the intensity of the stare left his heart beating louder than the music. 

“Yeah, Engineering,” Suzaku cleared his throat. “I… uhm, I’ve always been interested in the construction of planes,” he smiled. “How about you? Are you enrolled in Pendragon University too?” 

If he was, then he certainly never saw him in the campus. Though it was very possible their paths just never crossed, seeing how huge the place was and how many thousand students inhabited the university. 

“I used to study Law,” Lelouch licked his lips. “But I dropped out a couple of years ago. I work with Milly now, so that’s how I met her.” 

In perfect timing, Milly came back with two others about their age – a lovestruck blue-haired boy that he came to know as Rivalz Cardemonde, and a bubbly girl named Shirley Fenette. 

“Of course you all know Milly now. This is Rivalz, and this is Shirley,” he gestured at the two. 

Milly’s gaze caught Gino’s, and they shared a knowing look that could only mean trouble. 

Meanwhile, the orange-haired girl beamed when her gaze landed on Gino and Anya, and as it turns out, she knew them from some of her classes. She was immediately invested in a deep conversation with them, probably about the exams from the past week, if Suzaku had to guess. 

Milly and Rivalz were engaged in conversation with Kallen, and it was nice to see everyone get along so well, acting as if they had known each other for a long time. 

“Do you enjoy what you’re doing now?” Suzaku asked the raven curiously. 

Lelouch’s lips quirked up in a smile. “Yeah. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” 

“That’s what matters!” 

“You’d be the first,” Lelouch sighed in relief. “Every time I bring it up, people usually look at me like I’ve grown a second head.” 

He could see why, but what mattered in the end was finding a career that makes you happy, degree _or_ not. There was no point slaving yourself for years towards a field you have absolutely no interest in, and it was bound to make anyone in a similar situation miserable. 

“I’m not like most people.” 

“Yeah, I’m starting to see that.” 

Suzaku cleared his throat. “Uhm. Do you have any siblings?” 

“A little sister,” Lelouch smiled fondly, taking out his phone and showing him his lock screen. The raven sat across a girl with long sandy brown hair and lilac eyes, and he was feeding her a forkful of cake. “This is Nunnally. She studies _Social Work_ here too, actually, but she wanted to live the full university experience, so she’s been staying at the dorms.” 

Suzaku could tell his little sister meant the absolute world to him as the brunet watched him talk about her, and he grinned. “She sounds wonderful.” 

“She is!” the raven beamed. “She has plans to start a charity organisation for the blind and disabled, and I just know she’ll be able to do it, no matter what.” 

“You remind me of the main character in Code Geass,” Suzaku chuckled, “You know, how much he loves his sister?” 

“Ah, I suppose I can give him a run for his money,” Lelouch smirked. “If I were the prince, then surely, you’d have to be my knight, Sir Kururugi.” 

Heat rose to his cheeks, and Suzaku gulped down the rest of his drink all too quickly. “I-“ 

There was a sudden screech of a chair, and everyone’s eyes were on Shirley as she made a dash for the bathroom. Milly trailed after her, concerned for her friend. 

Lelouch excused himself for a moment, grabbing a glass of water from the bar and keeping it ready for when they returned. 

After a couple of minutes, they came back to the table, and Shirley looked as pale as a ghost. 

“Okay, that’s definitely enough celebrating,” Lelouch commented, grabbing Shirley’s handbag and handing it over to Milly. “Rivalz, are you ready to go home?” 

The blue-haired Britannian stood up with keys in tow, nodding. 

Milly frowned, gaze flicking between Lelouch and Suzaku. “We can take care of this, Lelouch. You should stay!” 

“I… I can’t possibly impose.” 

Gino piped in, “We’ll take care of him! Or well, I’m sure Suzaku would love to,” he winked. 

“Good, good!” Milly gave them a thumbs up on both hands. Before they left, they exchanged phone numbers, just to cover all bases. Milly promised to keep Lelouch updated, and he could tell the small gesture was enough to ease the raven’s tense nerves. 

Kallen and Anya left about an hour after – apparently, they were the two lucky employees that had a shift early in the next morning, and Gino was soon called over by a group of his friends. 

They spoke some more, and Suzaku found himself getting more and more drawn to the raven. He had only known him for such a short amount of time, yet it almost felt like he’s known him for much longer. 

…or maybe that was just the copious amounts of alcohol in his system talking. 

At this point, Suzaku had no idea how much he had been drinking until he stood up and it all just hit him like a hurricane. 

World spinning around him, the brunet grabbed hold of the bar stools to steady himself. 

“Are you okay?” Lelouch stood abruptly, supporting his shoulder. 

He blinked. “Yeah. I’m fine.” 

“Hang on a second, I’ll get you some water, ‘kay?” 

Lelouch came back shortly with the water he promised, and Suzaku sipped on the cold liquid. The raven only let go of him after he had finished the entire glass, and Suzaku thought that was very kind of him. 

“I think I need some fresh air.” 

“Let’s go outside then,” the raven nodded, waving over at Gino so he knew they were leaving. 

“I might have… had a little too much,” he slurred as they both made it outside. 

It was cold, but the alcohol in his system warmed him up nicely. He steadied himself against the brick exterior of the alley next to the bar, and Lelouch stayed close to him. 

“Hey, be careful,” he frowned, helping Suzaku with his footing. “I think it’s time for you to go home, Suzaku.” 

At his response, Suzaku pouted. “Do you not want to spend time with me? Do you not like me?” 

“Of course I like you,” Lelouch bit his lip. “I’d be crazy not to, Suzaku. You are kind and thoughtful… and not to mention, the only one in the world who can make the best mocha,” he tucked stray strands of hair behind his ear. “ _But_ that doesn’t change the fact that you need to get home! Didn’t you mention you have work tomorrow?” 

“But it’s in the afternoon!” he whined. 

“I’ll be right beside you until you get home, how about that?” 

He sighed, slumping his shoulders. “Mmm‘kay.” 

“Good. You ready to go?” 

Suzaku nodded, leading the way. 

It wasn’t far from the bar, and it upset him a little bit, knowing his time with Lelouch was going to be cut short very soon. 

“Just through here,” Suzaku pushed through the main door, and produced the apartment keys out of his pocket. Armed with shaky hands and a hazy vision, Suzaku tried his best to slot the key into the doorknob. 

No such luck. 

Lelouch calmly reached for the key, caressing Suzaku’s hand to get him to let go of his death grip on the small brass object. 

The raven was able to unlock the door with ease, and Suzaku, who was subconsciously leaning against the door, stumbled in the apartment, grabbing Lelouch and fating him to the same doom. The crash sent the door slamming shut, and Suzaku hoped that didn’t wake the neighbours. 

“ _Ah!”_ Lelouch yelped as they stumbled on to the carpeted floor. 

Suzaku braced most of the impact and clutched Lelouch close to him, and the raven landed on top of him, flushed. 

Violet eyes blinked rapidly, “S-sorry!” 

Lelouch had inched closer, and from here, Suzaku could see how _impossibly_ long his eyelashes were, and how bright his royal violet eyes shone. 

The brunet flipped them over and he leaned towards the Britannian, “You know, you have pretty eyes,” he stared in wonder, noting the raven’s scarlet tinged cheeks and how cute he looked like that. “ _Like_ … the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re _violet!_ Like what?!” 

Before Lelouch could respond, Suzaku yawned, “Hey y’know, this is pretty comfy…” He rested his head on the raven’s chest, allowing sleep to consume him. 

When he woke up the next morning, tangled in his blankets, Suzaku was left with a dreadful headache and way more questions than answers about his patchy memories from the night before. ****


	5. The Milly Ashford Inquisition

“ _Lelouch,_ ” Milly sing-sang, _“_ Where’s my juicy details?” 

She stopped by a couple of days after _the incident_ , and Lelouch should have known the infamous _Milly Ashford Inquisition_ was bound to happen one way or another. 

“Non-existent,” the raven responded, typing away in his laptop. 

The blonde Britannian pouted. “C’mon Lulu, did something… you know, _happen_?” She wiggled her eyebrows, awaiting excitedly for his response. 

Lelouch sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell you, okay? But I refuse to repeat myself.” He bit his lip. “Suzaku… er, he slept on me.” 

“I don’t suppose you actually mean slept _with_ you, right?” Milly’s excited expression easily turned to one of complete and utter confusion. 

“Nope, you definitely heard me right.” 

She pointed at the writer. “Now you’re going to have to tell me how that happened.” 

“I walked him home and he couldn’t get his apartment door open so I unlocked it for him, but I didn’t realise he was leaning against the door,” Lelouch explained, recalling the events from the night before, “I uhm, fell on top of him and he flipped us over and told me I… had _really pretty eyes,_ apparently, and he just slept on me.” 

“I couldn’t really move after that and Suzaku…” _looked so peaceful I didn’t want to disturb him_ , he wanted to say, but cleared his throat instead, “…was heavy so I can’t roll him off. Gino eventually came home about an hour later and helped me get Suzaku to bed.” 

“Aw,” Milly pouted. “I wanted more drama than that.” 

“Well, too bad for you, you aren’t getting any,” Lelouch huffed. “ _Also,_ I’m working. Don’t you have interviews or whatever to get to?” 

“Plenty,” she stated proudly, “But it isn’t until later, so I thought I should stop by and torment you a bit while I’m here. Such is my duty as your best friend.” 

The raven typed out a sentence before turning to the Ashford heiress. “Well, can I get you anything then? Coffee or tea, perhaps?” 

“ _Actually_ …” There was that evil glint in her eyes that Lelouch didn’t fail to miss, and he raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you accompany me to the café?” 

Lelouch bit his lip. “There’s one nearby-“ 

She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a knowing look, “Don’t play dumb with me, mister. I want to go to the café everyone works at!” 

“ _Milly_ -“ 

“My, my, Lelouch, is there a particular someone you might be hiding from?” She tapped her chin overdramatically. 

His answer came quickly as he averted his gaze, pretending to focus on his computer instead. “ _No,_ of course not!” 

“Well… then I suppose that means you can come with me then?” 

He sighed, giving in. “I could use a coffee anyway.” 

They walked the now familiar path to the quaint alley café with Lelouch leading the way. Behind him, Milly hummed and happily followed. 

She beamed when she saw the sign of the café up ahead, practically running into the shop. 

Lelouch shook his head, feeling relief wash over him when he walked in and found Gino behind the counter, already chatting animatedly with Milly. 

“Was it a mocha you got last time, Lelouch?” Gino called out as they were the only customers in the shop anyway. 

He nodded, and when he tried to pay for the drink, the taller male refused to accept it. “Think of it as payment for a favour.” 

“What… favour?” 

Gino sighed. “Last week… Suzaku didn’t do anything _weird_ did he?” 

“What kind of-“ The realisation dawned on the raven. “ _Oh_. No, nothing of the sort happened.” 

“Good,” the barista grinned, resuming his work. “Now, if you could just tell Suzaku that, that would be great. The kid’s been sulking in the apartment thinking he’s done something wrong because you haven’t been coming in. Now, the last time he looked like somebody kicked his cat was well… when somebody _did_ kick his cat. That someone was me, because that sneaky feline came up to me while I was walking, and I didn’t notice. Honestly, I didn’t think Suzaku was going to forgive me! Spoiler alert, though, he did. What a forgiving guy!” 

Accusatory violet eyes immediately landed on guilty blue ones, and Milly was quick to avert her gaze. _That scheming-_

“Anyway, you’d do that, won’t you, Lelouch?” 

Lelouch smiled. “Of course. I didn’t intend to cause trouble. I can come back again some time to let him know.” 

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Gino handed him his cup of coffee as well as Milly’s vanilla milkshake. “He’s got the next shift, so he should be coming in right about…” 

The door let out its soft chime, and the brunet that had walked in practically had rain clouds over him. 

“Now!” Gino clapped. 

“Afternoon, Gino,” were Suzaku’s sullen words, eyes low and shoulders slumped. 

“Hey Suzaku,” Lelouch greeted him after taking a sip from the steaming cup. 

Green eyes blinked as he lifted his head, then blinked again when he spotted the raven standing in front of him. “Lelouch?” 

“It appears there might have been a misunderstanding,” the raven scratched the back of his head. “I’ve been pretty busy with work recently, so I’ve been holed up at home. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was avoiding you… that wasn’t my intention!” 

“I’m really sorry about the er,” Suzaku bit his lip, “Sleeping on you thing…” 

Lelouch waved his hand. “It’s fine, seriously. I had some serious bonding time with Arthur.” 

That made Suzaku chuckle, and Lelouch’s heart warmed at the sound. “I’m glad you’re getting along fine then.” 

“What have you been up to, anyway?” 

Suzaku frowned. “Working on my resume, for the most part. It’s not really going well.” 

“You know, Lelouch is a writer!” Milly beamed. “I’m sure he can look it over and suggest some things. It’ll be great!” 

The brunet shook his head, “I wouldn’t want to impose-“ 

“I assure you that you wouldn’t,” she giggled. “All he does is hole himself up in his house and eat instant noodles.” 

Lelouch shot Milly a look. “I’m happy to help.” 

“If you’re sure…” 

“Absolutely.” 

“In exchange I can cook something up for you,” Suzaku’s head perked up in determination. 

“I-“ Lelouch blinked. “That… would be great, thank you.” 

“My work here is done!” Milly announced, “I have an interview to get to, so I’ll see you all around!” She waltzed out of the café with her shake without another word, and Lelouch rolled his eyes. 

“So when are you free?” Suzaku asked. “I’ve got a couple of shifts throughout the week… but I’m pretty sure I’m free all-day Wednesday.” 

“Wednesday is fine.” 

“Okay!” the brunet smiled, taking a piece of paper from the counter and scribbling on it before handing it to the confused raven. 

When he glanced at the small piece of paper, it finally registered to him that it was a phone number. _His_ phone number. 

After the buffering session in his head was over, Lelouch took his phone out of his pocket, saving the number as a new contact and sending a quick ‘Hello’ text message so that Suzaku had his number too. 

There was a brief buzz, and Suzaku tapped on his phone. 

A couple of high school kids wandered in the shop, and the brunet stood up. “I better help Gino.” 

Lelouch nodded. “No problem.” 

Suzaku smiled _that smile_ , and ran up to the counter, tying his apron around his waist. 

In that moment, he could feel his heart beating faster and his cheeks flushed with warmth. The fluttering feeling in his stomach was enough to overwhelm his senses and send his mind reeling. 

These reactions were so alien to Lelouch, and he didn’t know what to do about them and what they meant, but one thing was for sure. 

Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough. 


	6. Do resume checks count as a date? (Asking for a friend)

Apron tied around his waist and shooting his friend a threatening glare, armed with cooking chopsticks and a frying pan, Suzaku asked the burning question for what felt like the thousandth time that morning. 

“Which one, Gino?” 

The Britannian sighed, setting the bowl of _ochazuke_ on the cold marble kitchen counter. “I’m telling you, Suzaku, _any of them will do_. You know, like the past hundred times I’ve already told you.” 

“But _Gino_ ,” Suzaku looked at him pointedly. “You need to pick which one the best one is!” 

“Man, I’m stuffed,” his roommate burped. 

“I told him I was going to cook for him, and I’m determined the pick my best dish yet. Gino, you _need_ to choose one.” 

They’ve been at it for the past few hours, and Gino _promised_ he would help Suzaku pick one, but so far, he hasn’t been much help, and it was frustrating him to no end. 

“They’re all delicious though!” Gino whined. “Also, I can’t take any more.” 

Suzaku shut off the stove, taking out the croquettes from the oil and using tongs to place them over a bed of paper towels. He handed it over to the Britannian, who pleaded with his bright blue eyes. 

There was a knock on the door, and Gino’s head perked up. “I should get that!” 

The brunet sent him a glare, blocking his path between his roommate and the door that can too conveniently lead to his escape. 

“Suzaku.” 

“Gino.” 

Another knock resounded through the door, and he recognised Kallen as she grumbled, “Come on guys, what gives? I can hear you two!” 

“Open the door for the nice lady, Suzaku.” 

Green eyes were set with determination. “Not until you tell me which one I should cook for Lelouch!” 

Gino raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, the er, what was it called again? The Karaage or something like that?” 

“You don’t look convinced!” 

“Kallen, run while you can!” Gino yelled. “Suzaku’s been possessed by Yukihira Soma!” 

“I’m just trying to drop off those books I borrowed!” Kallen huffed. “Can you two just settle your issues and let me leave these _in peace_.” 

Blue eyes narrowed. “The neighbours are going to complain, and if the neighbours complain, they’ll send someone over to inspect the apartment, and if they inspect the apartment, they’ll find Arthur who is most definitely not allowed here, _so,_ Suzaku, open the door!” 

Suzaku sighed, lowering his arms. “Fine.” 

Gino opened the door, letting Kallen in, “I warned you, Kozuki, and now you must reap the consequences.” 

“What consequences-“ 

“See y’all!” he ran out of the apartment as far as he can. 

Kallen raised an eyebrow as she turned back to Suzaku. “What’s up with-“ She must have seen the plates of food laid out on the counter, and she took a step back. 

Suzaku shut the door with a smile. “Hey, _Kallen_ , can you help me pick a dish to cook Lelouch?” 

“Is that what this is about?” Kallen shrugged, taking a seat. “You look like you’re feeding _an army_. Have you seen Lelouch, Suzaku? He’s a _twig_.” Upon seeing Suzaku’s pout, Kallen sighed, taking chopsticks and trying the first plate. 

Green eyes brightened, waiting patiently as Kallen tried all the dishes. 

When she was done, she placed a hand over her belly, “Aw man, I’m full.” 

“So… which one?” 

“I’m sure Gino couldn’t pick because they were all pretty good,” Kallen bit her lip. “But, if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the Katsudon. It would be nice to make him something Japanese, I think.” 

Suzaku nodded, taking the ingredients he didn’t need and returning them to the pantry and the refrigerator. By then most of the counter has been cleaned and the leftovers have been placed in neat Tupperware containers for lunches and dinners in the week ahead. 

“Thanks Kallen, I really appreciate it.” 

The redhead smiled, giving him a thumbs up. “No problem.” 

*** 

Suzaku wiped the sweat off his forehead as he unplugged the vacuum’s power source, tucking it away in the cleaning cupboard. 

He double, _no, triple_ checked the apartment, making sure everything was spic and span. There was not a single speck of dust in sight, and he smiled, pleased with himself. 

Gino hopped out of his room with a backpack slung over his shoulder, and he whistled. “Wow, if I needed the apartment clean, I should probably just ask Lelouch to come over, huh?” 

Green eyes scowled, and the Britannian raised his arms in surrender. “Okay, okay. Anyway, I have a shift at the café, so I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Suzaku.” 

He nodded, waving his roommate goodbye and getting a start on the katsudon. Suzaku hummed as he breaded the pork and dropped them into the pan, watching them carefully to make sure it didn’t end up burnt. 

While that was getting ready, he cracked some eggs into a bowl and added the other seasonings, whisking away with his chopsticks. 

His phone buzzed on the counter and he smiled when he saw it was a message from Lelouch saying he was outside the building. 

Careful to shut off the stove before heading out, Suzaku greeted Lelouch, opening the main doors and smiling at the raven. 

“Hey,” Lelouch shrugged his coat off when they got inside, setting it aside. “Ah, that smells wonderful.” 

“I’m making katsudon!” Suzaku beamed proudly. 

“You must be a mind reader,” Lelouch chuckled. “It’s one of my favourites. Growing up, our maid cooked plenty of Japanese dishes and Nunnally and I always looked forward to them.” 

“Lucky me then,” the brunet winked. “Makes it easier to impress you with my cooking.” He scooped out some freshly made rice from the rice cooker on a medium sized bowl, carefully layering the eggs and pork and topping it with scallions. 

To his surprise, Lelouch chose to use chopsticks, and Suzaku did the same. 

The Britannian sat on one of the bar stools in front of the counter before taking a bite of the dish and closed his eyes in revelry. “Mmm, this is really good.” 

The weight in his chest dropped almost immediately, and he was over the moon that Lelouch enjoyed the dish. 

“I’m glad you liked it,” Suzaku grinned before scoffing down his bowl. 

He grabbed his laptop from his room, powering it on and locating the document for his cover letter and resume and clicking it open. 

Violet eyes scanned the document, taking bites of the Katsudon as he did so, and nodded. “So far it’s pretty good. I think we just need to reword some of this…” he flexed his fingers over the keyboard, licking his lips. 

Suzaku was enthralled by the scene, finding himself lost in Lelouch’s state of utter seriousness. It was like his whole demeanour had changed completely. 

“Then maybe just switch over the format for this…” Lelouch bit his lip, going over the changes and reviewing it. He opened up the browser to look up synonyms and other alternative words, processing the information and embellishing the document. 

“…and there,” Lelouch hit the save button, rotating the laptop so it faced Suzaku. 

The brunet scrolled to the top of the document, reading it over, feeling himself engrossed with every word. 

“Wow…” 

“What do you think?” 

“I mean… _I want to hire me_ ,” Suzaku chuckled. “It’s like an entirely different document! I think all the reformatting also made a huge difference… it seems it makes it easier to read and it highlights the important parts.” 

Lelouch smiled. “I’m glad I can help.” 

“This is amazing. Thank you.” 

“It’s nothing,” the raven waved his hand. “Ah, just a note to change the cover letter to suit the advertisement of the positions you are applying for. I believe some companies pre-screen the resumes and cover letters to locate certain attributes they are looking for which are usually the key words from their position ads.” 

“Yeah, I did hear about that… that shouldn’t be a problem!” Suzaku’s head was already reeling with possibilities, feeling a lot more confidence with applying for the higher tier engineering companies. 

The soft pitter patter of rain filled the room and violet eyes flicked over to the window peppering with the steady drizzle of precipitation. 

Thunder erupted in the skies, and Lelouch huffed. “Great.” 

“Not a fan of the rain?” 

“The rain?” the raven kept his gaze on the window. “On the contrary, I love the rain. It’s more… forgetting to bring an umbrella _while_ it’s raining that’s the problem,” he laughed. 

“The beauty of having a roommate means there’s double the umbrellas to go around,” Suzaku bit his lip, “ _But_ Gino did just go off on a shift. I can walk you home, if you like.” 

“I’d hate to be such a bother-“ 

“No, I insist!” Suzaku shut his laptop, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack, making sure it was one of those with a hood. “You’re more than welcome to stay until it clears up, but…” he looked up at the dark grey clouds ahead, “That might take a couple of hours.” 

_Not that spending a couple of hours with Lelouch was a bad thing, of course_ . If anything, he hoped the raven would pick the latter and they could spend the rest of the afternoon together. 

“Yeah, it’s definitely not clearing up any time soon, huh?” Lelouch chuckled. 

“ _Actually_ ,” Suzaku stopped, throwing the umbrella back in the case. “I rented a couple of movies yesterday. You’re more than welcome to check if you would like to watch any of them?” 

Lelouch nodded, heading over to the stack of DVDs on the coffee table in the living room. His eyes scanned the titles, reading over the blurbs at the back of the DVD cases. “How about this?” he turned the DVD case around, revealing _The Imitation Game_. 

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to watch that. Anya recommended it to me…” he smiled, clearing the couch of books and relocating them to the shelf. “Make yourself at home!” 

The raven sat on one end of the couch, “Thanks.” 

Suzaku took the disk out of the case, placing it in the DVD player and taking the remote controls from the basket above it. He clicked play before taking the only other seat next to Lelouch. 

As the film played, Suzaku found himself deeply engrossed, even feeling himself teary eyed towards the end of it. He leaned back on the couch, feeling it shift slightly. 

Lelouch laid his head on Suzaku’s shoulder, and it took him a moment to register that the raven had drifted to asleep. 

The brunet bit his lip, his heart warming at the sight. He just looked so… peaceful. 

The moment ended too soon as Lelouch woke up shortly, violet eyes fluttering open. “Huh?” His gaze landed on Suzaku, and he sat straight. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry-“ 

“It’s f-fine, really,” Suzaku chuckled nervously. 

“Just had a long night,” Lelouch’s lips quirked up into a soft smile. He looked up, out the window. The sky seemed clear enough albeit possibly some slight drizzles of rain left. “I should go before it pours again.” 

Suzaku nodded. “Uhm, hey Lelouch?” 

The raven was in the middle of wearing his coat, and he looked up, “Yeah?” 

“You should… uhm text me sometime, if you’re bored, you know?” 

Lelouch chuckled. “I’ll take you up on that.” He grabbed his phone, stuffing it in his coat pocket. “Thank you for the food and for letting me stay for a while.” 

“It’s no problem. Be sure to stop by the café sometime, okay?” 

“Of course. Can’t go without my mocha and white chocolate raspberry muffin, can I?” 


	7. Lamperouge squared

“Big brother!” Nunnally greeted, practically jumping into Lelouch’s arms when she came through the door. “I feel like it’s been too long.” 

“It hasn’t been _that_ long,” Lelouch caught her, hugging his little sister. At the sight, he couldn’t help but smile. 

Nunnally folded her arms over her chest. “It always is. You know I worry about you all the time.” 

“You wouldn’t have to if you just lived here,” Lelouch looked at her pointedly. “You know I keep an extra room for you.” 

“It’s been so much fun living on campus though!” She plopped on one of the bar stools by the kitchen counter. “I’ve been making lots of friends and it’s so much easier to get to class.” 

“Just know the option is always there,” the older sibling shrugged. He moved swiftly in the kitchen, grabbing slices of cake and placing them gently on small plates before giving one to Nunnally as well as one for himself. Lelouch heard the kettle stop boiling and hummed as he poured it into a teapot, bringing over the accompanying teacups. 

Nunnally always loved cakes, _more so_ when it was paired with the right tea, and Lelouch always indulged her whenever he knew she was going to stop by. 

“Strawberry shortcake!” Nunnally beamed at the delicately layered dessert in front of her, ready to dig in with a small fork. “You spoil me, big brother.” 

“You deserve it,” Lelouch smiled fondly, taking the seat beside her. “You did well in the last trimester! I thought we should celebrate a bit.” He poured some tea in the cups, passing over the sugar cubes and a small jug of milk. 

Every Nunnally visit was essentially a tea party, and Lelouch wouldn’t miss it for the world. 

“Thank you!” Lilac eyes were energetic and as bright as ever. She took a bite of the cake and smiled widely. “ _So_ yummy.” 

“Only the best for you, Nunnally,” the raven shrugged. 

For god knows what reason, Lelouch was hopeless in the kitchen except for baking – though he could probably attribute that to helping Nunnally frequently in the kitchen whenever she baked sweet goods for the family or for her classmates as they were growing up. 

Part of him wishes he could revert back to that time, when it was simpler and everything was easier… _but_ they had both come so far now, and there was no point looking back. 

Inevitably, his mother and father were not very accepting of his decision to drop out of university, and Lelouch expected as much. He was essentially disowned from the Lamperouge family as more family dinners and visits became suffocating because of his parents’ constant nagging about his terrible decisions and how he wasn’t going to get anywhere in life. There were times when they stopped reprimanding him for the choice, instead trying to convince him to return to his course and promising that everything will be the way it should be. 

Frankly, Lelouch was sick of it. 

He stopped visiting, because that in itself was just an invitation to verbal abuse, and he hasn’t made a move to contact them since. 

They urged Nunnally to switch universities, even making the suggestion for her to take her studies abroad, likely concerned with her older brother ‘influencing’ her decisions and coming to the same fate, but nothing stopped Nunnally from visiting, no matter what they tell her and even the few times they expressively told her not to. 

She is amazing like that, and Lelouch loves his little sister with all that he is and ever will be. 

“Mother is wondering if you will be visiting soon,” Nunnally spoke quietly, staring at her swirling cup of English Breakfast. 

“You very well know the answer to that.” 

“Of course,” she frowned. “I just wish they would be kinder.” 

“Unfortunately, the world isn’t full of people like yourself,” Lelouch tapped her nose, “Kind, caring, and considerate, as much as I would want the same.” 

She held the cup to warm her hands, “Do you think they’ll ever come around?” 

Lelouch shook his head. “I highly doubt it. If they do, it won’t be anytime soon, that’s for sure.” He noted Nunnally’s drop in expression and cleared his throat. “So, how are you going with your volunteer work?” He asked, referring to her recently acquired position at a disability support organisation. 

That lifted her spirits up, and she was back to her smiling self. “I’ve been meeting lots of wonderful people at the centre. It’s been lots of fun! You should stop by when you have the time. I have a couple of people I’d love for you to meet.” 

“Of course. I’ll be sure to visit.” Lelouch smiled as he sipped his tea, noting he needed to add more milk. 

“How about you, big brother? How’s the book coming along?” 

“I’ve got more direction now,” his mind drifted off to a certain green-eyed barista, and the corners of his lips tugged up to a small smile. “I’ve decided that this book will be the last in the series.” It was a bit of a shock when he shared his decision to the publication company, and they did whinge before finally agreeing and announcing it to Zero’s reading audience. 

“Oh?” Nunnally leaned forward. She has since finished her cake, and she has set the plate aside. 

“Yeah. I finally know how to end it.” The only reason it kept going was because it didn’t feel right to end it just yet, but Lelouch was sure of it now. It was time. 

“That means you can write a different story!” His sister’s eyes lit with excitement. “And I don’t mean to pry, but… could this have something to do with this Suzaku person you keep talking about?” She smiled mischievously. 

Warmth rose to his cheeks, but before he could respond, there was a hesitant knock on the door. 

Lelouch was thankful for the save, happily opening to door to greet… “Suzaku?” 

“Hey Lelouch!” 

“What… are you doing here?” 

Suzaku scratched the back of his head. “Funny story actually… You left this at my place,” he handed Lelouch over the pen that Shirley gifted him for his birthday last year, “And I took it with me to the café to give it to you if you came in today. Milly and Shirley visited and well, I asked them if they could give it to you, but Milly insisted I give it to you myself, so she gave me your address.” 

“You must be Suzaku!” Nunnally appeared out of nowhere, almost sending Lelouch flying. “Big brother had told me so much about you!” 

“Big brother…?” Suzaku’s gaze shifted from the raven to the younger of the two, mouth forming a perfect ‘o’. “You’re Nunnally?” 

Something stirred inside the raven when he realised all too quickly that Suzaku remembered Nunnally. It certainly felt rather… _nice_. 

“That’s me!” 

“All good things I hope,” the brunet smiled. 

“Nothing but good things,” Lelouch mumbled quietly. Much too quiet for the brunet to hear. “Would you like to come inside, Suzaku?” 

The Japanese boy nodded. “Sure.” 

“Milly talks about you a lot too,” Nunnally added cheerfully as he walked in. “It’s nice to put a face to a name.” 

Lelouch grumbled, “Of course she would.” 

“So… Lelouch mentioned before that you studied social work? Do you enjoy it?” 

“Oh, I love it,” the younger Lamperouge sibling gushed. “I want to be able to start the foundation for a not-for-profit organisation a few years from now and make a difference… I wish there was a way to help everyone, but while I’m working that, I’ll start by making a difference to the ones I can reach.” 

“That’s very… thoughtful of you. I’m sure you’ll get there someday,” Suzaku grinned. “If you ever need a helping hand, I’m happy to help.” 

“You would?” Nunnally clapped excitedly. “I’m lucky to be surrounded by supportive friends.” 

Lelouch chuckled. “Or maybe you just make very compelling arguments. You pretty much have an arsenal of volunteers at your disposal.” 

Nunnally giggled. “That I do.” 

For the rest of the afternoon, the two bonded over Lelouch’s embarrassing stories, and while the resurfacing of certain memories mortified Lelouch, he was glad to see Suzaku and Nunnally getting along well. 

Eventually, the time came for Nunnally to leave, and she leaned in close for a hug. 

After she pulled away, she gave her brother a thumbs up, “Suzaku Kururugi has the Nunnally seal of approval.” 

The raven frantically looked back at Suzaku, who _thankfully_ hadn’t heard her sudden remark. “ _It’s not like that,_ ” he mumbled. 

“Whatever you say, big brother,” she waved them goodbye, and left without another word, leaving the older sibling flushed. 


	8. Crepes = ultimate comfort food

Suzaku browsed through the third recruitment site that day. 

Tired green eyes reviewed the internship positions, scanning the descriptions and role expectation sections, sighing when he found a couple that fit his skill set well… only to find they required a couple of years’ worth of experience _at least_ in the field. 

The brunet grumbled. “How do they expect fresh graduates to have that?” He thought it was stupid and it irked him to no end. 

His laptop chimed, signalling a notification. Green eyes darted to the top right of the screen, noting it was a representative from one of the companies he interviewed for the other day. 

Heart thudding like no tomorrow, he opened the message. 

_Dear Mr Kururugi,_

_Thank you so much for your interest in the Traineeship position with Orange Engineering. We appreciate you taking the time to apply as well as interview with our team._

_Unfortunately, at this time, we have chosen to proceed with another candidate who has more industry experience._

_We wish you all the best in your career endeavours._

_Jeremiah Gottwald_

_Executive Director of Engineering_

Suzaku frowned, feeling his spirits drop. 

He took out his notepad, crossing out _Orange Engineering_ off the list, and sighed. 

He was thankful the company actually contacted him despite not being successful in securing the position, as not many did. He started to assume he didn’t get the position if he hadn’t heard back after a certain set time, but this was certainly a change. 

The brunet stood up, bed shifting as he did so, and he convinced himself to visit the kitchen to at least have something to eat for the day. He was careful to check if Gino was home, and only when he was sure he wasn’t there did he leave his room. 

Don’t get him wrong. 

Suzaku adored his friends, and he valued them more than anything. But he was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, not wanting to remind himself how much he was failing at securing an internship. 

He was sure they meant well, he truly did, but he just wanted a break from it, just for a little while. 

Sighing, he turned the kettle on. 

While waiting for the water to boil, he grabbed the packet of green tea leaves, throwing some into a cup and returning it into the pantry shelf. 

He felt his chest tighten when the door jiggled, and he urged the kettle to boil faster. 

“Oh, hey Suzaku,” Gino had one of his signature lazy smiles on as he hung his coat in the rack. 

Suzaku cleared his throat. “Hi Gino,” he licked his lips. “How was your shift?” 

“Not bad. It was pretty quiet.” 

“Ah, that’s good.” 

Gino threw his bag over to the couch before searching the cupboard. Probably for snacks. The blond Britannian was usually hungry after shifts and frequented the snacks shelf whenever he’s come home after work. 

The kettle clicked, and Suzaku moved quickly. 

He poured the water over the tea leaves and returned everything promptly, shuffling out of the kitchen. 

“Have you…” Gino started, before hesitating. “Ah, it’s nothing.” 

Suzaku nodded before shutting himself in his room, focusing on the heat of the mug he was clutching so tightly. 

He found himself leaning against the door, dejection clinging to him and refusing to lighten its load. 

He hung his head low, deciding to shut his laptop for the day and to just set it aside. 

There was a beep from his phone, and he stared at it curiously. The screen lit up and previewed a message from Lelouch. 

_Lulu: I’d appreciate your company, if you don’t mind._

Just as he was typing out a roundabout way of saying no, his phone vibrated a couple more times. 

_Lulu: Actually, I do mind. You better come or I’m dragging you out of your apartment._

_Lulu: There is a new crepe shop that opened up in a nearby park and Nunnally has given me strict orders to take you there._

_Lulu: Otherwise she will just stare at me with the signature Nunnally pout and I’ll feel like the worst person in the world. So you better come._

_Lulu: …Not that I care or anything. I’m doing this for Nunnally’s sake._

_Lulu: Obviously._

Suzaku chuckled, typing out a response, _well, we don’t want Nunnally to be upset now, do we?_

_Lulu: Naturally. Are you coming or not? It’s cold out here._

The brunet let out a hearty laugh, changing into a different shirt and shrugging on one of his (many) university hoodies. He also chose to change into more comfortable (not to mention warm) pants. 

He shoved his phone and wallet in his pocket, digging out his house keys from the bowl and locking the door on his way out. 

Suzaku found Lelouch impatiently tapping his foot just outside the building, arms crossed over his chest. 

“I’m here, stop being so cranky.” 

“I’m not cranky,” Lelouch huffed. “I just don’t like the cold.” 

Green eyes scanned the raven’s outfit, noting he already had _at least_ three layers on. 

Lelouch led the way to a small park just a couple of minutes by foot. He found it adorable how his hands were shoved inside his pockets the entire time and his scarf was tugged close. 

Suzaku started to wonder if Gino’s roped Lelouch into doing this. 

It wasn’t that uncommon for the raven to send him text messages – in fact, they’ve become proud texting buddies since the last week or so. Though this was the first time Lelouch used it to ask him to hang out. Albeit for ‘Nunnally’s sake’. 

To his surprise, Lelouch didn’t ask him about his job-hunting expeditions, and for that, Suzaku was grateful, even entertaining the idea that Gino didn’t actually ask Lelouch to do this. 

He argued with himself in his mind the entire way there, only snapping out of it when Lelouch was waving his hand in front of his face to bring the space cadet back to Earth with the very important question of – _which flavour do you want?_

The trek to the crepe stand was not in vain, and the chocolate crepe he ordered was one of the best he’s ever tasted. He happily took on a spoonful of the dessert, relishing in its decadent chocolatey goodness. 

“Is yours good?” 

Suzaku nodded, following him to one of the park benches and taking the vacant seat next to him. Not quite thinking his next action through and running purely on excitement, Suzaku took out a spoonful of his crepe and offered it to the raven. 

“Uhm. Okay,” Lelouch opened his mouth to try it, and was left with a satisfied expression. “Hm, I might just pick the chocolate one next time.” 

The raven followed suit, giving him a bit of his raspberry crepe to try. 

“Chocolate is superior!” Suzaku announced. 

Lelouch agreed hesitantly, “As much as I hate to say it. My raspberry comrades have failed me.” 

He felt the weight in his chest lighten, momentarily forgetting about his job-hunting qualms from less than an hour ago. 

“Hey Suzaku?” 

The lump in his throat stopped him from responding. He was sure that the raven was going to bring up the inevitable topic, and for some reason unknown to him, he didn’t want Lelouch of all people to view him as a failure. 

“Would you like to come with me to the shopping district? I’m trying to find a present for Nunnally.” 

He let out a breath of relief. “Is it her birthday?” 

Lelouch shook his head. “Her birthday is in October, actually. This is just a little present from me for doing well in the trimester that passed.” 

“How sweet,” Suzaku teased. “I’ll be happy to help you find something.” 

“Thanks,” the raven mumbled. 

A few hours later, Suzaku comes into the realisation that Lelouch was very, _very_ picky. 

They wandered into too many shops, with Lelouch picking up miscellaneous items ranging from cute to practical, only to end up with a shake of his head, setting it down, and moving into a different store. 

They spent hours, _yes, hours_ , looking for Nunnally’s present, only for Lelouch to return to the first store they went into, finally choosing a dainty phone strap with a heart shaped locket. 

Lelouch seemed happy with his purchase, now wrapped in a brown paper bag. 

The raven insisted on walking him home, arguing that it was ‘ _on his way home anyway so he might as well’_. 

At that, Suzaku’s response was a low chuckle. He wasn’t going to say no to the opportunity to spend more time with Lelouch. He quite enjoyed the day, and his worries were all but gone in those few hours he’s spent with him. 

When he spotted the familiar building ahead, Suzaku brought up the question that’s been bugging him this entire time. “Did Gino rope you into this?” 

Lelouch pursed his lips. “And if he did?” 

Suzaku sighed. “I knew it. If that’s the case, then why haven’t you brought it up?” 

“Simply put, it’s because I know I don’t have to,” Lelouch bit his lip. “I don’t want to repeat words that I’m sure you’ve been hearing practically every day. It won’t change anything. Besides, I know you’ll find something. I’m sure of it. They’d be crazy not to pick you! If they didn’t, then it’s their loss passing up the chance to hire the best engineer this world has ever seen,” he smiled. “So, keep your head up for me, Suzaku. I know you can do it.” 

They stopped in front of the main doors of Suzaku’s apartment, and the brunet was left speechless. 

“And if that doesn’t work, I’ll have to tell Nunnally on you and you’d have to face the infamous Nunnally pout,” Lelouch shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Kururugi.” 

“Warning noted.” Suzaku bit his lip, trying to suppress a laugh. “You know, I had a really good day. Thank you.” 

Violet eyes averted its gaze to the pavement. “It was nothing. It was for Nunnally. Obviously. Truth be told she _did_ ask me to take you to that crepe stand.” 

Suzaku chuckled. “Obviously.” 

  



	9. I won't say (I like him)

“Do we really have to do this?” 

Milly narrowed her eyes at the raven, eyes glinting with threat. “Yes, we really do. You finished the series! This is _totally_ worthy of celebration.” 

It’s been about three and a half months since the fateful night he’s met Suzaku Kururugi (not that he’s counting or anything), which evidently marked three and a half months since he’s written the first word of the last instalment of the _Code Geass_ series. 

Normally it would take Lelouch much longer to finish a novel, but since their meeting, he had been writing pretty much non-stop. He put his other projects on hold to focus on it, pouring all his attention and efforts into it. 

It was a bit shorter than his usual novels too, which he supposed would be surprising to readers as it was the last book, but he decided where he was going to end it, and the fate of the story now rested on his editors’ capable hands. 

Meanwhile, amidst all of this, Suzaku still had no idea Lelouch was Zero. Not even when they continued to talk about the series. Thanks to Milly and their little resume escapade, Suzaku was aware that Lelouch was a writer of some sort, just not… Zero. 

“Does it really have to be at the beach?” 

Milly gave him a look, and the raven raised his arms in surrender. “That’s what I thought,” she said smugly. “Besides, it _is_ the first warm day we’ve had in a long time, _plus,_ you’ll thank me later.” 

“For… what?” 

“Hey guys!” Milly waved at some people behind Lelouch, and the raven turned, seeing Suzaku, Gino, Kallen, and Anya heading towards them. 

“You invited them?” Lelouch hissed. “What happened to keeping Zero a mystery thing?” 

“Relax,” Milly waved her hand. “As far as they’re concerned, this is just a random get-together.” 

Shirley and Rivalz waved at them from afar, carrying bags of food and drinks. They set a mat down on the sand, setting up the umbrella for some shade, and organized the bags to keep the corners secured. 

“If you really want to know why I set all this up, I suggest that you turn around,” Milly smiled deviously. “I have to say, I’m not disappointed in the slightest.” 

“Huh?” Lelouch followed her gaze, which landed on Suzaku, who has since taken off his shirt. “ _Oh_.” 

Just as he had imagined, the brunet had wonderfully sun-kissed skin and however many hours he dedicated at the gym most definitely paid off. 

Just as bright violet eyes were glued onto Suzaku, unable to look away, he was displeased to note that he wasn’t the only one. 

He noticed other people lounging on the sand and those that walked past paying Suzaku a second glance, and it annoyed him to no end. Unbeknownst to the raven, his fists were clenched, and he gritted his teeth. 

Suzaku and Gino were setting up a net and judging from the volleyball that laid next to Anya and Kallen’s tanning form, it seemed that was what they were going to be playing. 

“We should set up teams,” Gino called out. “Have you guys played beach volleyball before?” He directed his question at Milly, Shirley, Rivalz, and Lelouch. 

As it turns out, both Shirley and Rivalz had played previously, so that left Milly and Lelouch as the inexperienced few. 

Kallen stood up, brushing sand off her legs, “Anya isn’t playing. As usual.” 

Gino frowned, “But _Anya!_ ” 

The pink-haired girl only shook her head, turning her attention back on the paperback in front of her, flipping a page without another word. 

“I’m out too,” Milly spoke up cheerfully. “Sports and me? We don’t get along well.” 

“Hey that doesn’t work out too bad. That only means we can have even players on each team,” Gino commented. 

The raven retorted, “If we’re going by Milly’s logic, that means I can’t join either.” 

“C’mon Lelouch, it’ll be fun!” Suzaku pouted. 

_Ah, damn_ . _That pout is just as bad as Nunnally’s and it doesn’t hurt that his shirt is off._

“Fine,” Lelouch folded his arms. “But just one game.” 

His response left Milly wiggling her eyebrows at him, and he chose to ignore the blonde Britannian, instead focusing on Gino who was giving instructions, “Okay, so let’s have Suzaku, Kallen, and Lelouch in one team, and the rest in another. How’s that?” 

Everyone mumbled their agreements, standing in their corresponding spots in each side of the net. 

Lelouch called out to Kallen and Suzaku, “Just so you know, I’m not going to be much help. I’m hopeless with sports.” 

Kallen laughed. “We’ll just let Suzaku do all the work, shall we?” 

The brunet sent a glare Kallen’s way before turning back to Lelouch, “Just try your best to keep the ball off the sand and leave the rest to me,” he winked. 

Lelouch nodded, trying his absolute damndest not to swoon over _one stupid wink_. “Got it.” 

“Let’s go!” Suzaku served first, and Gino expertly returned it in one swift motion. 

The ball was hurling towards the raven, much to his dismay. 

Shutting his eyes, he positioned his arms the same way everyone else was, and he felt the sharp impact of the ball as it bounced off him. 

By some miracle, the ball was somehow saved, and it was back on the other side of the net. 

Shirley sent the ball upwards, aiming to pass it over to Rivalz, who jumped up for a spike and sent it way past their makeshift court. 

It flew over Suzaku’s head, much too high for him to reach, and rolled away. 

On the other side of the court, Rivalz was profusely apologising and everyone played it off, not paying any mind to it. 

Suzaku volunteered to get the ball, jogging to where it ended up rolling to. One of the girls sunbathing close to it stood, picking up the ball and personally handed it over to the brunet. 

They spoke briefly, and the girl laughed, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. 

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, ready to give that girl a piece of his mind- 

“Hey Suzaku, we don’t have all day!” Gino yelled. 

Suzaku bowed slightly to apologise, and the girl smiled before resuming to her previous position. 

He returned to their makeshift court, serving as perfectly as before. 

Rivalz tried another spike, this time keeping it within the other side of the court. Lelouch grumbled as he had to run to get to it, but the effort was worth it when the ball was sent to the other side without anyone else’s help. 

His arms were already starting to sting, and he frowned, finding it absolutely ridiculous. He’s hit the ball, what, _three, four times?_

“Lelouch!” Kallen called out. 

Dazed, he shook out of his thoughts, though not quick enough. He was able to hit the ball, but it went sideways, throwing it out of the court. 

“Ah, sorry!” 

“It’s okay,” Suzaku grinned. “I’ll get it.” 

Lelouch glanced at the ball, who was now in that same girl’s possession, and she stood there, waiting with a smile. 

He gritted his teeth. _Not on my watch_. 

The raven shook his head, “It’s fine. It was my fault, so I’ll go get it.” He made his way to the girl. Her expression fell slightly, but she maintained it as best as she can. 

“Thank you for picking that up,” Lelouch let out a fake smile. 

“It’s no problem!” She handed it over. “Uhm, if you don’t mind… I just have a quick question to ask.” 

If you had to ask Lelouch, he minded _a whole lot_. But not wanting to cause trouble, he decided to indulge the stranger, though he already had a good idea what it was going to be about, “What is it?” 

“That boy from earlier… does he have a girlfriend?” 

“Yes,” Lelouch spoke without a second thought. _So, you better back off._

“Aw,” she pouted. “I guess that isn’t a surprise…” 

“Tough luck,” Lelouch mumbled. “I better head back before I get screamed at. Thanks again.” He turned abruptly, returning the ball onto the playing field. 

Her question did get the raven’s head reeling, and the thoughts left him distracted for the rest of the game. 

_Surely_ Suzaku had someone, right? 

It was hard for him to imagine the brunet not having a significant other. It wasn’t far-fetched to imagine Suzaku as the perfect boyfriend – so sweet and kind. 

He could picture Suzaku as the type that would show up at your doorstep with flowers well, _just because_ , with no occasion necessary for such a pleasant surprise. One who would prepare the perfect candle-lit dinner after a long week. 

The lump in his throat was hard to swallow, and Lelouch started to doubt everything. 

What was he even doing, telling that girl off like that? 

It wasn’t like Suzaku was _his_ boyfriend or anything. Hell, he didn’t even like Suzaku… _romantically_ , anyway. 

Lelouch had absolutely no right, and he frowned at the realisation. Worse yet, if Suzaku didn’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend, what if the brunet was interested in _her_? 

He convinced himself that he did that because he was a concerned friend. _Yes, that sounds appropriate,_ Lelouch deduced. _That’s it._

They’ve been spending a lot of time together and Lelouch just found himself attached to the brunet is all. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Lelouch was running on autopilot and the game was soon over. The girl never approached Suzaku again and the raven sighed, sitting next to Milly on the mat. 

“Jealousy isn’t a good colour on you,” Milly noted. 

“What are you talking about?” 

She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t play dumb with me, Lelouch. I see through you and right now, you’re as green as the _Hulk_. Hell, you’re greener, if that’s at all possible.” 

“I am not!” 

“Hm, let me put this into perspective,” she tapped her chin. “Imagine Suzaku with another person. They’re kissing. How do you feel?” 

The idea sickened him, and he felt as if his heart had dropped a couple of storeys. “I’d rather not-“ 

“You’re jealous!” Milly sing-sang. “Bottom line here, Lelouch, is that you _like Suzaku_.” 

“ _Like_ him?” 

_“Jesus Christ_ , I didn’t think you would be this dense when it comes to feelings,” Milly sighed. “Not to fear, my lamb, I will guide you!” 

“No one needs any guiding,” Lelouch argued. “I just… admire him, _obviously_. He’s resilient and strong, always sticking to his beliefs no matter what everyone else thinks, plus he’s really nice and he gets along really well with Nunnally-” 

“ _Lelouch and Suzaku, sitting in a tree_ ,” Milly sang, “ _K-I-S_ -“ 

“ _Shhhhh,”_ Lelouch hissed. 

Gino turned around, “Did you say something, Milly? I didn’t quite catch that.” 

Milly smiled mischievously, and Lelouch shoved his hand over her mouth. “Don’t mind her!” 

She pulled Lelouch’s hand away, “Admit it, Lamperouge, _out loud_ or the entire beach gets an impromptu concert featuring me.” 

The raven bit his lip, unable to deny Milly’s claims. No matter how he looked at it, his actions as well as his thoughts… all pointed at the same thing. 

“I like him. _I like Suzaku Kururugi_.” 


	10. When in doubt, take Buzzfeed quizzes

Suzaku braced himself for the response on the screen, holding his breath with his heartbeat racing faster than a bullet train. 

_You’re 92% in love_ . 

_92%?_ That was far from definitive. He was an _engineer_ for God’s sake, it _had_ to be 100%. Suzaku needed to take another one, just to check. 

_Obviously_ . 

“You’re _still_ taking those quizzes?” Gino popped out from behind him, startling the poor brunet. 

“ _Gino_!” He shoved his phone in his pocket, offering the best innocent smile he can muster. “W-what are you doing here?” 

“I live here?” 

“Oh,” Suzaku laughed awkwardly. “Of course. I was just uh, _testing you_! That’s it. The once in a blue moon roommate check, and I’m pleased to announce you’ve passed.” 

“Drop the act,” Gino yawned, stretching his arms. “So, when are you going to ask him out?” He grinned slyly, “Or did you want to take another ten Buzzfeed quizzes _just to check_?” 

Suzaku pursed his lips, taking his phone back out. “I mean… _I want to_ , but what if it doesn’t work out?” 

“I think anything that matters are always worth the risk.” 

“Wow, since when have you been so old and wise?” The brunet snickered. 

Gino scowled. “Joke about it however you want, but the time might come when it’s too late, and I just don’t want you to miss your chance.” 

Suzaku sagged his shoulders. “I just don’t want to lose him.” 

“You can be really sappy when you want to be, you know?” Gino smirked. 

“ _Hey_!” 

“It’s easy, just walk up to Lelouch and tell him you like him. Simple!” Gino suggested cheerfully. 

“Yeah, right. You make it sound way too easy. It’s not as-” 

Their intercom rang, and the brunet’s gaze flicked over to his roommate. “Were you expecting anyone?” 

Gino shook his head. “Nope.” 

Suzaku pressed the button, surprised to see Lelouch in the small monitor. “Oh, hey Lelouch! Come on in.” He unlocked the door remotely and ended the transmission. 

“And… that’s my cue to leave,” the Britannian stood from the couch, grabbing his bag sprawled on the kitchen counter. “The heavens have spoken, young Kururugi, and I don’t know if you need any more signs than this. It’s basically a huge rainbow _neon_ billboard. Just ask the cute boy out, alright?” 

Suzaku rolled his eyes. “I make no promises.” 

There was a soft knock, and Gino opened the door, inviting the raven in. 

Lelouch offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry for the sudden visit.” 

“No, it’s fine! Visit anytime you like,” Suzaku bit his lip. He was sure Gino was laughing at how excited he sounded. 

“See you guys in a bit,” Gino waved them goodbye, heading out of the apartment. “Also, Suzaku, _don’t defy the heavens_!” 

Lelouch furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s he talking about?” 

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Gino is crazy like that,” Suzaku laughed awkwardly. “So… what brings you here?” 

The taller male took out a brown paper package from his bag, and handed it to the brunet, who unwrapped it happily. 

“A book?” Suzaku turned it around, noting it was a hard-bound copy of _Code Geass R3._ His eyes widened. “Wait a minute… this isn’t meant to be out until next week!” 

Lelouch bit his lip. “Yeah.” 

He flipped through the pages, and caught a glimpse of the dedication page, sending him into a deeper spiral of confusion. “ _To Sir Arthur, for your honest advice, exquisite mochas, and white chocolate and raspberry muffins_ .” 

Suzaku opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it back up again, “Hang on… _you’re_ Zero?” 

Lelouch nodded. “The one and only.” 

“Oh my god,” Suzaku recalled the _many_ times he had criticised the Code Geass series, _his_ series, and the brunet’s cheeks burned red. “I am _so sorry_.” 

The Britannian chuckled. “No, you did nothing wrong, Suzaku. As much I hate to admit it, I really needed those comments. They helped me more than you can imagine.” 

Head bowed, Suzaku deflated. “I find that hard to believe.” 

“Well, it’s the truth,” Lelouch shrugged. “After that night we met, I was finally able to start on this book. You showed me a different perspective… and I really appreciate that.” He cleared his throat, “Of course, Milly also wants to shower you with thanks as if not for your help, I would not have met my deadline, so there’s that too.” 

“Well, you’re welcome… I guess?” 

“Ashford publications have decided to reveal that I am Zero. With the series over, I wasn’t intending on using that pseudonym any longer anyway, so Milly, of course, wanted to make a big deal out of it.” 

Suzaku tilted his head. “How so?” 

“I’m going to be away for the next two weeks or so, attending book signings,” Lelouch looked sullen, and Suzaku wanted to chuckle at how much the raven disliked social interactions. 

The brunet was about to comment when the gravity of the situation suddenly processed in his head. 

Lelouch was going to be away. __

That meant no Lelouch. 

_For two weeks._

Suzaku feigned excitement to hide his disappointment. “Sure sounds like fun.” 

“I wanted to tell you,” Lelouch twiddled his thumbs, focusing on that instead of Suzaku, “…before everyone else. I wanted you to know first.” 

For some reason the raven’s words stirred something within him, and the butterflies in his stomach were fluttering like crazy. “Just… come back as soon as you can, ‘kay? Work won’t be as fun without you.” 

Lelouch’s lips curled up into a smile. “I’ll be back before you can say Zero,” he chuckled, then checked his watch. He frowned at the sight, “Well I better go. I still need to pack, and I would like to avoid Milly’s lectures if at all possible.” 

The brunet laughed, “I’ll see you soon then.” 

“You will, I promise.” 

*** 

Loud knocks prompted Suzaku to look up from the paperback, and with a slight narrow of his eyes, Gino entered the room, out of breath and eyes wide. “So, get this, _Lelouch is Zero.”_

The brunet resumed his reading. “Yep.” 

“Wait, you knew?” 

“Yep.” 

“This whole time?!” 

“Since last week,” Suzaku turned the page. His spirits dampened when he realised it was the last one. 

“Wait, that’s a copy of-“ 

“The last Code Geass book? Yep.” 

“Damn,” Gino whistled. “Well, did you end up asking him out?” 

Suzaku sighed, putting down the book. “No. I didn’t get the chance to. He had to leave to pack for his flight.” 

“But you will when he gets back, right?” Gino stared at him with an expectant look, like it was _the most obvious thing in the world_. 

“Maybe,” Suzaku pursed his lips. “I’ve just finished… did you want to borrow this?” 

Gino’s eyes sparkled. “Boy, do I,” he grabbed the book, ready to get into it. 

“Try to even _think_ about dog earing the pages and I’ll hunt you down,” Suzaku called out, to which Gino responded with a standard, “Yeah, yeah.” 

In the end, Zero introduced a new character. A long-lost friend of the protagonist that was trying to work his way into changing the world from within, caught up in the politics of the military and its choking grasp. 

The prince, eager to be reunited with his friend, saved him from the corrupt government’s unjustifiable attempt to use him as a scapegoat. 

Their opinions clashed, which was unsurprising. They each had their own methods into creating a gentler world, and they were so vastly different that it makes Suzaku wonder how they get along so well regardless of that obstacle. 

But they were fighting the same evil, and compromises had to be made. 

And so, the prince yearned for his punishment for the lives he had taken, and to whom else could he entrust such a task but to his one and only friend, his last ally. The prince committed greater evils, far greater than his father’s, in order to centralise the world’s hatred into one being, _himself_ , and created a hero that would put an end to his villainous reign. 

Such was the essential sacrifice to make a difference in a world that had done nothing but work against him, but for his sister, he was willing to do _anything_. 

The hero would be cheered, _revered_ , even. 

He will carry on his legacy into the future and ensure the peace he had worked so hard to attain, would be kept. 

And that he did. 


	11. Never go shopping with Milly Ashford

“Rise and shine!” 

Sunlight seeped through the windows as the curtains were sharply slid aside, inevitably doing an excellent job waking the raven. In his exhausted state, all he could process was that it was just too damn bright. 

He grumbled, turning around and finding solace behind a pillow. “Shut it off.” 

“I can’t shut off the sun, you dummy.” 

Finally realising he was hearing Milly’s voice in his hotel room, violet eyes shot open as he sat up, “What are you doing and how on _Earth_ did you get in here?” 

“A magician can never reveal her secrets,” she simply stated, shutting an invisible zipper over her mouth. She sat on the corner of the room on an elegant chair, already dressed for the day. “ _Also,_ I’m here to get your sappy ass out of bed.” 

“The signing isn’t till five in the afternoon,” Lelouch scowled. “Let me _sleep_.” 

“You’ve been all mopey since we’ve left Pendragon,” Milly pouted. “I know you miss your boyfriend, but we have important matters to tend to.” 

Lelouch raised two fingers, “ _One,_ he isn’t my boyfriend,” he put one down, “And _two,_ what the hell are you talking about?” 

“ _Yet,”_ the editor winked mischievously. “Anyway, it’s his birthday in a couple of days and what better place to find a present than here in his home turf!” 

As much as Lelouch hated to say it… she was actually right. They only had two days in Japan, and Lelouch had initially planned the first one for a sleep-in. “I’ll get ready.” 

Not anymore, apparently. 

“Oh?” Milly raised an eyebrow. “No arguments? Engineering boy truly has you wrapped around his little finger.” 

“ _Whatever_.” 

“I’ll meet you in the lobby!” She left with what looked like a spare key card to his room, and Lelouch scowled. 

Lelouch moved decisively, taking a quick shower and shoving on the first set of clothes he could find. In just under thirty minutes, he met up with Milly on the ground floor and they were driven to the shopping district nearby. 

He wracked his brain for ideas on what to get the brunet and was ultimately disappointed when he couldn’t come up with anything. 

Even as they wandered in and out of random shops, there wasn’t a single thing that caught his attention. 

“Hey Lelouch,” Milly called out. She was in front of the gift-wrapping section, admiring the display of colourful ribbons ranging from pastel to bright neon. “I’ve got the _best_ idea.” 

Frankly, if there was anything Lelouch learned from his many, _many_ years of friendship with Milly Ashford, it was that anything involving the dangerous words ‘ _best idea_ ’ was bound to become a tragic recipe for disaster. 

He was almost too terrified to pry into her idea, and of course, in typical Milly fashion, he didn’t have to. 

“Okay, so,” she smiled widely, grabbing one of the giant ribbons on the top shelf, “We take one of these and…” she hummed, selecting a lavender ribbon, “And one of these. Yes, these will work perfectly.” 

Lelouch didn’t want to ask. He really didn’t. But curiosity did kill the cat, after all. “For?” 

“ _The best present_ that you could ever give Suzaku,” Milly flashed a devious smirk, “ _You_. We’ll just have to wrap these around you, and of course, you need to do your part and wear as minimal clothing as possible, though if you _can_ manage to be naked, which would be the best case scenario by the way, we can strategically wrap these ribbons around your-“ 

“ _Milly!_ ” Lelouch’s eyes widened. “People are staring, oh my god. Shut up.” 

“But I haven’t gotten to the best part!” She pouted. 

“And we never will,” the raven grumbled as he put the ribbons back in its place and dragged his friend out of the shop. 

“Well then, I suppose you have a better idea?” Milly had her hands on her hips, foot tapping impatiently. 

“Yes. _Anything_ but shipping me to his front door is a better idea,” he rolled his eyes. 

His attention was caught by the faint glow of lights in his peripheral vision – a small hobby shop in the corner. The sight immediately prompted an idea to pop into his head, and he dashed for the store. 

An old man greeted him as he entered the establishment, and Lelouch offered a friendly greeting back. 

He found what he was looking for in one of the shelves, and he bit his lip as he tried to pick one of its many kinds. 

“Model planes?” 

Lelouch nodded. “Yeah, he’s most interested in aviation engineering… so I thought that being able to build them in a different kind of way would be fun.” 

“As much as I adore _my_ idea… I have to say, this is pretty good too,” she sighed. “I think he’ll love it.” 

The raven chuckled, picking up one of the model aircraft boxes and paying for it at the counter. The shopkeeper even offered to gift wrap the box, which Lelouch appreciated. 

Now, to get this book signing over and done with. 

*** 

“Hey Lelouch!” A virtual Suzaku greeted him cheerfully on the other side of his laptop screen. He was sitting cross-legged in what appeared to be his room. 

“Hi,” he breathed out. He felt the dull ache in his chest lift at the sight of the brunet, and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“How was your book signing?” Arthur had climbed onto his lap, nudging his owner for attention. Suzaku obliged to the cat’s wishes (as he should if he valued his life) and patted the feline’s fur. 

“Long. Way too long,” Lelouch sighed. “It was pretty fun meeting fans though, I suppose.” It was something he was sure he could admit to Suzaku but never to Milly. God forbid she knew – he’d end up with a hectic schedule and he’d never be able to keep up. “How did you go with your interview today?” 

It was with _Camelot Engineering_ , and it was one of the few companies that Suzaku _really_ wanted to secure an internship at. When he heard back about scheduling an interview, he was over the moon over it, even calling Lelouch a couple of days ago to share the good news. 

It was a welcome surprise, and Lelouch jokingly brought up that they should video call more often while he was away, and since then, well, it’s been a daily ritual. 

Inevitably, it was the best part of Lelouch’s day. 

Suzaku grinned, which was a change whenever he brought up the topic. “I feel really good about it. It seemed like a really good work environment. Though the head engineer is a bit of an oddball… he was eating pudding during the interview.” 

Lelouch chuckled. “Well, that’s not something you hear about every day.” 

“Right?” the brunet laughed. “There was another girl too, _Cecile,_ if I remember correctly. She seemed really nice.” 

“When will you find out?” 

“By the end of the week, apparently. If they time it just right, it might even be a very pleasant birthday present.” 

“Speaking of, I’m sure your friends are dragging you out to celebrate?” 

Suzaku nodded. “Gino’s picked a restaurant not too far from here. Kallen and Anya are coming, of course.” 

“Pretty sure Shirley and Rivalz were coming too,” Lelouch bit his lip, jealous of his friends all of a sudden. 

“I wish you could come,” the brunet smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes like it usually does. 

“I wish I could too, but our flight home isn’t until the next day.” It frustrated the raven that they were _one day off_ , but it wasn’t something that could be controlled. 

In the end, it boiled down to Lelouch just wanting to celebrate Suzaku’s birthday with him, being one of the people he cared about the most. 

“Rain check on a celebration of our own, then?” 

He smiled, just a little. “Of course.” 

“Then I’m looking forward to it.” Suzaku yawned, stretching his arms upwards. Arthur meowed, expressing his complete and utter distaste for the unnecessary movement and jumped off. 

“It’s getting late over there. Plus, you’ve had a long shift at work,” Lelouch shook his head. “You should go to sleep.” 

“But I want to keep talking to you.” 

If Lelouch’s heart was still intact after that line was absolutely debatable. “You have work tomorrow morning,” he reminded the other male. 

Suzaku pouted, and Lelouch could only take so much before his self-restraint was going to burst. In a fit of panic, he ended the call. 

_Suza: Aw, no fair!_

Lelouch shook his head, laughing as he texted back, _Go to sleep, you dork_. 

_Suzaku sent a picture._

The raven scrambled, viewing the photo and finding a pouting Suzaku. He rolled his eyes. _You’re the one not playing fair!_

His phone chimed immediately. 

_Suzaku sent a picture_ . 

It was Suzaku sticking his tongue out – and Lelouch would be lying if he said it wasn’t the cutest thing he’s ever seen in his life. Without a second thought, he chose it as Suzaku’s new contact photo, and he was pleased with the decision, knowing full well that adorable photo of the brunet would come up every time he called. 

_Go to sleep!!!_ He typed out, hitting send. 

_Suza: Fiiiiine. Goodnight._

Lelouch bit his lip as he texted back, _Good night_. 

He laid back on the hotel bed, charcoal hair splayed on the white pillows with his eyes shut and his lips tugged up into a smile he couldn’t shake off like a fool in love. 


	12. Okay but how do I ask him out???

“ _Lelouch,”_ Suzaku breathed in deeply, “There’s some things I want to get off my chest and I want to share them with you before it’s too late.” He twiddled with his thumbs, “I’ve liked you for a while now, and I- _Arthur, get back here!_ ” 

The feline meowed, watching his owner nervously shift in his place. Arthur lifted a paw and started licking it without a care in the world. 

“C’mon buddy, you’re meant to be Lelouch,” the brunet whined. 

Arthur glared at the brunet, eyes dilating to the point he was sure the cat was going to attack him at any second. 

“Let’s try this again, shall we? Just stay put for like a minute, and I’ll give you some treats. How about that?” 

The cat was finally listening after that, and he sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws. 

“You see, I really like you, Lelouch,” Suzaku bit his lip. “And you’d really make me the happiest person in the world if you agreed to go on a date with me.” 

Arthur looked away, heading towards the sun-lit window with his swishing tail, meowing angrily. 

“Oh my god,” Suzaku sunk to the ground, burying his face with his hands. “That’s it. He’s going to reject me.” 

Meanwhile, Gino was trying to hold his laughter, somehow appearing out of nowhere. The brunet’s attention snapped to the kitchen where his roommate was howling with amusement at his apparent detriment. “That… was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a _long time_. The squad’s getting this video for sure.” 

His phone buzzed from beside him, and he could already see a stream of messages from their group chat. 

Suzaku scowled at the perpetrator, deciding he would deal with Kallen and Anya later. “How long have you been there?!” 

“Long enough to hear your little speech to Arthur,” Gino cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. “Oh, I mean Lelouch, of course.” 

The brunet ran his hands through his hair. “This is hopeless. There is no point. It’s not going to work out.” 

“But it will,” the Britannian reassured him. “Seriously, the guy’s head over heels in love with you, and that’s a Weinberg promise. Though one thing’s for sure… you’re not going to get the guy’s favour if you’re sounding like you’re proposing when you’re just trying to ask the guy out. You’ll probably freak him out.” He leaned against the counter, giving the brunet an expectant look. 

“Ugh.” Suzaku finally stood up, taking one of the bar stools to sit across Gino. 

“Honestly, I’m just glad you’ve moved past the Buzzfeed quizzes… I didn’t think you’d practice with your cat, though by all means, you can continue, if you like. At this rate, I think I can make you viral,” he winked. “I can see it now, ‘ _Delusional Japanese male asks cat out on a date. Cat rejects’_ ” 

“Gino, you _aren’t helping!_ ” Suzaku flailed his hands like a maniac, nearly sending him flying out of his chair. 

“Look, I’m a one-night stand kind of guy. I’m not really the best person to approach for advice for _dating stuff_. So, really, unless your sole intention with Lelouch is to _get it on,_ if you know what I mean, then I suggest you ask someone else,” he shrugged.  
  


“And I’m not _the_ type of guy that’s good with words!” Suzaku grumbled. It was surely Lelouch’s forte, but certainly far from his. “He’s coming back in a couple of days and I just want to get it over with once and for all.” 

_After his birthday_ , Suzaku decided, when the raven was going to return from his trip, he promised himself he would finally ask Lelouch out on a date. But there were complications… and he didn’t realise how hard this was actually going to be. 

“Here’s a thought. If you can’t express your feelings with words, then maybe you can express it with actions,” his roommate suggested with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Upon seeing the brunet’s deathly glare, Gino sighed, “You know, what if you asked Anya or Kallen? You’ll probably have better luck with them. I mean, they’ve _dated_ people in the past, so I’m guessing they have more experience than I do.” 

“You know what, that’s a good idea,” Suzaku nodded, already running out of the apartment. 

*** 

He visited Anya first. 

She lived the closest, after all, but Suzaku couldn’t even get a word out before the door slammed in front of his face. 

“No,” he heard Anya’s faint voice from the other side of the door. 

“But I haven’t said anything.” 

“I know why you’re here and I refuse to comment. I’m not some love guru.” 

“But _Anya-_ “ 

“Decision’s final. Go bug Kallen.” 

Suzaku sighed. _Well, that’s one down._

*** 

Steely blue eyes regarded the brunet carefully as she rested against the kitchen counter with her arms folded over her chest. 

“You want… advice,” she pointed at herself. “From me.” 

“Correct.” 

“About asking someone out?” 

“Positively absolutely yes,” Suzaku nodded excitedly. 

“Just be yourself,” Kallen shrugged. “It’s as simple as that. Lelouch should like you for who you are, and if you have to change just to get his favour, then I don’t think you’ll be a good fit.” 

Suzaku bit his lip. “But what do I do? What do I say?” 

“Does it have to be some grand speech?” Kallen leaned back crossing her arms behind her head. “Why can’t you just say _Lelouch I like you, let’s go on a date?”_

“Is that literally all you said to everyone you’ve dated?!” Suzaku’s eyes widened. If so, he was totally blowing this whole dating thing out of proportion. But surely it wasn’t that easy. 

“Er, that’s a whole other story,” Kallen scratched the back of her head. “Anyway, I have places to be!” She nudged Suzaku towards the door. “Have fun!” 

The lovestruck brunet blinked, realising Kallen had shut him out. He looked down at his notes with his friends’ different advices, finding himself more confused. 

_If you can’t use words, use actions_ . 

_Be yourself._

He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated, until he came up with an idea. 

Suzaku was an engineer, for god’s sake! This problem of his was just that – _a problem_ , and he can solve it like any other problem. 

_Logically_ . 

These were all factors to a much bigger equation is all, and he just needs more variables. 

_Yes, that’s it!_

*** 

“Thanks for meeting me in such short notice!” 

“It’s no problem at all. I’m happy to help!” Shirley sat down in the busy café across the brunet, smiling. “So, what’s the problem?” 

“How do you ask someone out?” he blurted out, deciding to bite the bullet. 

The orange-haired girl didn’t seem taken aback by the question at all and in a way, it comforted the tense brunet, “Is this about Lulu?” 

Suzaku laughed awkwardly. “No! Of course not, uhm, why would you think that?” He avoided her gaze, biting his lip. 

A familiar blue-haired male in uniform approached them with their tray of drinks, “Oh, hey guys! What are you doing here?” 

“Hey Rivalz,” Suzaku tilted his head, “I didn’t know you worked here!” 

Rivalz placed their drinks on the table and took the available seat next to Shirley, “We used to just operate as a bar… but the business owner decided to expand into coffee making. I can’t say I can make coffee as good as you though, Suzaku,” he laughed. 

“I’m happy to give you tips, if you want,” the brunet suggested. 

“I might just take you up on that,” Rivalz frowned, before his expression completely turned the other way around, “So, anyway! What are you guys up to?” 

Suzaku licked his lips, focusing on the white cup of coffee sitting in front of him. He had to repeat the mantra in his head – _You are engineer. This is an equation. You need more variables._ “I was asking Shirley for advice… on asking someone out.” __

“Is this about Lelouch?” 

“Damn it, _does everyone just know?!”_

Shirley giggled as she lifted her teapot and poured its contents into an empty cup. “Sorry, Suzaku. It’s just we haven’t seen our Lulu invested in someone like _ever_ so naturally, we did what every friend group would do.” She put down the teapot and added milk to her tea. 

His brows furrowed. “…And that is?” 

“Place bets,” Rivalz answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Pretty much everyone except Milly assumed you would ask him out, to be honest with you, so we’re counting on you buddy.” 

One of the other employees called for Rivalz, who grumbled and hesitantly got up. “As much I love the guy, he’s just a bit too dense when it comes to feelings,” he chuckled. “So, just keep at it, Suzaku, I’ve got fifty bucks riding on you!” He returned to his place behind the counter, taking another customer’s order. 

“You know,” Shirley started, catching Suzaku’s attention, “There’s no doubt in my mind that Lulu feels the same way about you. You are all he ever talks about and he has a look on his face when he does… Like you mean the whole world to him,” she took a quick sip of her tea. “So, my one advice for you is to just say or do what feels right. There’s no rush, no time limit. Trust me, you’ll just know.” 

Green eyes lit up. “You know what, you’re right! Thanks Shirley!” 

“Oh, and Suzaku? Can I ask you for a favour?” 

“Of course.” 

“Keep Lelouch happy for us, ‘kay?” 

Suzaku smiled. “I was already planning on it.” 


	13. Milly is the best wing woman, change my mind

“ _Lelouch!_ ” Milly sing-sang. 

“Milly please stop breaking into my hotel room,” the raven grumbled, taking the blanket and dragging it over his face. 

It was their second last day, with their flight the next morning being the soonest they could book (much to Lelouch’s dismay). 

He heard the curtains draw back sharply, and the sunlight harshly lit up the room. 

“Hear me out, because I deserve best friend of the century for this.” 

Violet eyes narrowed, before Lelouch ultimately decided to get up, leaning against the headboard. “This better be good.” 

“Oh, trust me, years from now, you will _revere_ me,” she waved her hand. Milly took her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and showed the raven her screen. 

Being excessively bright, it took him a few seconds to register what it was. 

“Plane tickets?” His brows tucked together, confused. 

“Yes, you dummy, so you can get to Suzaku before his birthday ends,” Milly chuckled. “It will be cutting it fine though. Considering the driving time from the airport to his house, but you should make it around eleven-ish. Also, if you want to make it on time,” the blonde Britannian raised her wrist, checking her watch, “You should probably pack like _now_. Being an international flight, we should have been at the airport about… an hour ago.” 

Lelouch couldn’t get out of bed fast enough. He essentially threw open his luggage, throwing all of his stuff in it. He finished getting ready the fastest he ever had in his life, almost out of breath by the end of the tiring ordeal. 

He was determined to make it on time, and he wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way. 

Not when it comes to Suzaku. 

“Wow,” Milly whistled. “I’m actually impressed. Seriously.” 

They made their way to the elevators down to the lobby, where their driver assisted them with their luggage and secured them neatly in the back of the car. Eventually, they were on the move, arriving at the airport soon after. 

They were mainly separated after that, having to go through the extensive airport checks. 

When they were finally sitting across the terminal, Lelouch let out a breath, forgetting how draining getting into an airport could be despite the number of times he’s already gone through them in the past. 

“You’re the best. I can’t thank you enough.” 

She winked. “You flatter me, Lulu. Though of course I _know_ I’m the best.” 

Lelouch left his carry-on baggage pooling at his feet. “How did you even get those tickets?” 

“I’ve got a friend who has a friend who works in a travel agency who managed to get these for me,” Milly beamed. 

The raven laughed. Trust Milly _to have a friend of a friend of a friend_. “Of course you do.” 

“Can’t have my favourite writer moping over his boyfriend,” Milly shrugged. 

“Again, not my boyfriend,” Lelouch bit his lip. “… _Yet_.” 

Blue eyes widened as Milly propelled herself towards her friend, “Oh my gosh, _Lulu,_ are you planning to confess?” 

Lelouch watched people roll their luggage as they walked by, busy with checking either their watch or their phone. There was only so much time in the world, and he can’t afford to waste any more of it. “I want to, I really do.” 

“But?” Milly raised an eyebrow. “I know you, Lelouch. I know you’re straightforward, and that you wouldn’t hesitate to tell someone how you feel about them. So… in saying that, what’s stopping you?” 

“This… is different.” 

“Different how?” 

“For once… I feel like there’s something to lose if I mess it up, you know?” The raven tucked loose strands of hair behind his ear. He clenched his fists on his lap. 

This whole ordeal was so unlike him, and he came to the apparent conclusion that having a crush was just too damn hard. 

“Don’t stress,” Milly smiled. “I’m like one hundred _ten_ percent positive he likes you back, and when have I ever been wrong?” 

Lelouch gave her a look, and the editor’s cheeks flushed a bright red. “That was _one time_.” 

“I’ll take your word for it,” he smirked. 

“ _Whatever,_ ” Milly huffed, head perking when she saw something behind Lelouch. “Oh, looks like we’re boarding. Are you ready to go home?” 

_Home, huh?_

The writer smiled, not quite realising when home changed from a lonely cold house to the warmth of a certain green-eyed barista. 

“Yes, I’m ready to go home.” 

*** 

It was halfway through the flight when Lelouch came to the grim realisation that _he hadn’t greeted Suzaku at all that day_. He was so preoccupied with the change of flights in the last minute and caught himself in the excitement of it all that he wasn’t able to send even a quick text before they took off. 

It left him paranoid for the next few hours, hoping against all hope that Suzaku didn’t hate him or worse, _think he didn’t care_. Because he did. 

A lot. 

They touched down twelve hours later. 

Milly was a sleepy blubbering mess and they ended up taking a taxi together from Pendragon Airport after spending ages waiting for their bags. He asked the driver to drop Milly off first, and he made sure she was all settled in with all her stuff before he returned, giving him Suzaku’s address. 

He thanked the driver, handing over his payment for the fare with a little extra, and grabbing his stuff out of the taxi. 

Lelouch let out a deep breath, checking his watch. 

_11:57 P.M._

There were three minutes left of Suzaku’s birthday, and Lelouch wheeled his luggage into the building, standing in front of the apartment he had been frequently visiting before this whole trip. 

He clutched the handle of his luggage tightly, releasing it reluctantly and grabbing his phone out of his pocket and called the brunet. He noticed a couple of notifications, but he ignored them for now, focusing on the task at hand. 

“Lelouch?” Suzaku’s voice was groggy, as if he had just woken up. 

“Come outside,” the raven chuckled. “I have a surprise.” 

“A surprise…?” He paused for a moment, “Wait, don’t say you’re-“ He could hear rustling in the background and the sound of fast approaching footsteps. 

Suzaku unlocked the door, smile reaching his emerald green eyes when his gaze landed on the raven in front of him. 

“Hi,” Lelouch smiled. 

“You’re… really here!” The brunet launched himself towards the Britannian and into his arms, pulling Lelouch into a hug. “Come in!” He suggested when he pulled away. Suzaku headed to his room and the raven followed, thinking that he likely chose to stay there to prevent disturbing Gino, who was probably also sleeping. 

Violet eyes checked his watch again. __

_11:59 P.M._

“Okay, before anything, happy birthday,Suzaku!” Lelouch grabbed the brunet’s present out of his bag, handing it over to him. “Truth be told, everything was a bit rushed… since leaving the hotel, I haven’t even looked at my phone,” he said, suddenly feeling his tired state consume him. “Sorry for not responding to your messages.” 

Suzaku shook his head. “It’s fine. This is more than I could ever ask for. Thank you, Lelouch.” 

“Well,” the raven scratched the back of his head. “It’s Milly you should be thanking. She somehow found the miracle tickets.” 

The brunet chuckled, and Lelouch relished in the sound, having not heard it in person in such a long time. There was no denying that it tugged at his very heart strings. “If you haven’t read any of your messages, I suppose you haven’t heard the good news! I got the internship at Camelot!” Green eyes lit up, genuinely excited for the placement. 

“I knew you could do it. It was only a matter of time,” the taller male smiled reassuringly, proud of the Engineering graduate. 

“It feels like such a huge weight off my shoulders to be honest,” Suzaku sighed, shoulders slumping. “Thank you for all your help. I couldn’t have done it without you, you know?” He plopped onto his bed, smiling. 

Lelouch shook his head. “Of course you would have. You underestimate yourself.” He leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. 

“Can I?” Suzaku asked excitedly, gesturing at his present. 

“Go for it,” he bit his lip as he watched the shorter male unwrap the gift. 

Green eyes widened at the sight of the plane kit, looking up at the raven with a sense of wonder that usually shone when he talked about his passion for Engineering. “I love it!” 

Lelouch let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, relieved that the brunet liked it. 

“I can’t wait to build this. I didn’t know these existed!” the brunet rambled, going on and on about the technicalities of the model plane in particular, which was apparently scaled from an _actual_ one. 

“You should send me a picture when you finish it,” Lelouch piped in before yawning. “So… did you have a good birthday?” 

Suzaku’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “Yeah, and with you here it’s made it so much better. It has to be the best I’ve ever had, if I had to be truly honest. I’ve had many people to celebrate with this time around and I’m lucky to be surrounded by such great people.” 

“I’m glad,” Lelouch grinned, feeling another yawn coming. “I think I better go… it’s been a pretty long day.” 

“No, wait,” Suzaku frowned, standing up. “You should just stay the night. It’s really late, you’re tired, _plus_ , you don’t know who is out there at this time. You can even take my bed!” 

“I shouldn’t impose! Besides, it’s just a short trip anyway…” Suzaku frowned deeper, and Lelouch sighed. “ _Fine,_ but only if it’s not much of a hassle _and_ you’re taking the bed. I’ll use the couch or something.” 

Suzaku pouted. “I refuse. You’re the guest here.” 

“But-“ 

“I know!” Suzaku arranged the bed, setting a line of pillows in the middle. “How about that? We can just _both_ use the bed.” 

In Lelouch’s tired state, it did take him a couple of embarrassing minutes before he realised that meant he was going to be _sleeping with Suzaku_. 

Granted, it was in a literal sense, _but still_. 

“I- uhm…” 

“That settles it! This just became an _impromptu sleepover!_ ” 

_Oh Suzaku, never change_ , Lelouch chuckled to himself. 

He unzipped his luggage, genuinely afraid of the mess that was bound to spill out of it. In his haste to leave for the airport, he quite literally threw everything into the bag and just hoped for the best. 

The sight left Lelouch muttering curses to himself, staring at the overwhelming number of items in the luggage that was most definitely not his. 

Trust Lelouch, who was desperate to see Suzaku before the clock struck midnight, to exchange his luggage with Milly. 

“Okay, so, you’re either _really_ into crossdressing… or that’s not your bag,” Suzaku popped out from behind him, nearly making him jump. 

“It’s not,” Lelouch blushed furiously. “If this is Milly’s, then mine is at her place.” 

“What a stroke of good luck, eh?” Suzaku chuckled, heading for his cupboard and grabbed some clothes, tossing it to Lelouch. “Here, you can borrow some of mine.” 

Never in his entire _life_ , had Lelouch Lamperouge found himself so completely and utterly speechless, merely staring at the pile of clothes in front of him without a sound. 

“Lelouch? Earth to Lelouch?” 

Violet eyes blinked. “Ah, uhm. Yes, thanks,” he grabbed the pile of clothes and rushed to the connected ensuite, closing the door behind him with a pounding heart. 

_Pull yourself together, Lamperouge!_

It’s just clothes. 

_His clothes_ . 

That he will just happen to be wearing. 

_It’s fine_ . Everything’s fine. 

With that sentiment in mind, Lelouch proceeded to change into the shirt and pyjama pants he’s borrowed, and in the process, inevitably, _lose his mind_. 

He smelled like Suzaku – fresh, laced with hints of citrus and earthy scents. 

It was nice. 

_Really nice_ . 

Lelouch bit his lip, feeling his heart race. 

The knock on the door startled the Britannian, nearly making him jump, “Hey Lelouch, you alright?” 

The raven cleared his throat. “Yeah. I’ll be out in a second.” 

Lelouch was still getting over the fact he was wearing _Suzaku’s clothes,_ not even thinking ahead and realising he (very shortly) had to get over lying on Suzaku’s bed… with Suzaku. 

Not wanting Suzaku to worry, the raven finally left the bathroom, taking his time folding his clothes neatly and placing them on top of Milly’s luggage. While he did so, Suzaku was already in bed, tucked under his blanket and sitting with his back against the headboard, scrolling on his phone. 

_Oh god, this was actually happening_ , Lelouch let out a deep breath. _It’s fine. Everything’s fine. He was fine._

He approached the bed, unravelling the blanket folded on his side and laid it across his section. 

Lelouch’s weight dipped into the bed, and he shuffled, trying to get himself comfortable. 

They said their goodnights and Suzaku shut off the lights, and the room was basked in darkness. 

He tried his absolute damndest to sleep with his racing heart, finding it to be a challenging feat. Suzaku was snoring softly beside him, and Lelouch chuckled a little at that. 

Eventually, the raven’s fatigue from the flight had taken over his senses, dragging him into the realm of dreams well into the early hours of the next day. 


	14. In which Suzaku attempts to ask Lelouch out on a date (and kinda fails)

Suzaku woke up from the most pleasant dream. 

In it, Lelouch went through so much effort just to greet Suzaku on his birthday, catching a last-minute flight to Pendragon and arriving merely _minutes_ before midnight. 

He could swoon just thinking about it. 

The raven gave him a model plane kit for his present and Suzaku even asked him to spend the night _sleeping together_. 

_How scandalous_ , Suzaku chuckled to himself, _if he actually did something like that._ Gino would probably freak out, if he must say so himself. 

Granted it was for _actual sleeping_ , but the sneaky Britannian probably wouldn’t see it that way. 

He picked up his phone from the nightstand, unlocking it and checking his notifications. 

Suzaku frowned when he saw Lelouch hadn’t sent him anything yet, and he sighed. Usually he would receive a good morning text or something along the lines… and he couldn’t help but feel sad over it. 

His phone beeped one after the other shortly after that, and the brunet furrowed his brows, finding Gino sending him a series of incessant texts. 

Confused, Suzaku clicked on one of the messages. 

_Gino: Should I say congratulations???_

_Gino: Whatever, I’ll say it anyway._

_Gino: CONGRATULATIONS!!!_

_Gino: Don’t get me wrong buddy, I never doubted you, but I didn’t think it would happen this fast!_

_Gino: I’m a proud mama bear._

The brunet typed a message quickly, _what the hell are you talking about?_

_Gino: You and Lelouch obviously?_

_Gino: Why else would he be in our kitchen so early in the morning making breakfast in /your/ clothes???_

Green eyes blinked as he sent a response, _Lelouch is here?_

_Gino: …_

_Gino: Was the sex that good that you forgot all about it?_

_We didn’t have-_

It took a little bit of buffering in Suzaku’s brain before he finally put two and two together, realising the events from his dream were in fact, _reality_ from the night before, and he jumped out of his bed, gunning straight for the kitchen. 

True to Gino’s word, the raven was there, humming softly as he mixed a bowl of batter. Settling in so nicely in the kitchen, all complete with an apron tied around his waist and a coffee in tow. 

Violet eyes met his confused gaze, and he smiled, “Morning Suzaku. How was your sleep?” 

Gino was sitting on one of the bar stools, anticipating the brunet’s response, resting his head with his hands. 

“Okay. So last night was real.” 

Lelouch furrowed his brows. “Last night _was_ real,” he repeated. 

Gino whistled, and Suzaku rolled his eyes. “Milly got last-minute flights for Pendragon that left earlier. Lelouch came here close to midnight last night to greet me before the day had gone… and I didn’t want him to go home being so late, so I offered for him to stay the night,” he explained, and his roommate’s expression turned into disappointment. 

His roommate pouted. “Aw, damn it.” 

“What’s this about?” Lelouch asked, pouring some batter into the waffle maker. 

“Nothing!” Suzaku replied quickly, waving his hands. “So… waffles, huh! I _love_ waffles.” 

Lelouch chuckled. “Gino suggested it actually. There’s a couple of stuff in the pantry that can be used for toppings.” He set a plate of the finished waffles in a plate, placing it on the kitchen counter. “Help yourself.” 

“These are _awesome_ ,” his roommate gushed as he tried one drizzled with chocolate. “You should stay the night more often. Hell, if Suzaku isn’t inviting you, I will!” 

The raven smiled. “There are very few things in this world I can make, and waffles just happen to be Nunnally’s favourite breakfast is all… I had lots of practise through the years,” he laughed, filling the kitchen with the sweet sound. 

Suzaku grabbed one of the waffles, trying it for himself and relishing in the goodness of the warm dish. “Mmmm.” 

“Oh, also I’ve explained the whole situation to Milly. She’ll be dropping off my bag later in the afternoon and picking up hers,” Lelouch sighed, taking a bite out of a waffle. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he looked at the message from Gino. 

_Gino: Ask him out!!!_

_Suzaku: I can’t just ask him out now?!_

_Gino: Must I do everything?_

Suzaku’s gaze landed on Gino’s briefly, who was giving him an expectant look. 

The Britannian sitting beside him cleared his throat, bright blue eyes shining with mischief. “Hey, you know, I’ve got some movie tickets I won from trivia the other day. I think it expires today though,” Gino frowned. “I’d hate to see them go to waste.” 

“No time to go to the movies today?” The raven asked, finishing his breakfast and chugging it down with some coffee. 

Gino shook his head. “Unfortunately not. They called me to work later in the afternoon and I’d probably be too tired to do anything else after,” he sighed. “It’d be great if you two could use them up. I heard there’s this good movie that’s recently come out too. Lots of people are raving about it.” 

_Going to the cinemas with Lelouch… didn’t that constitute as a date?_

Alone in a dark room, the slightest possibility they could even _hold hands_. Maybe Suzaku could even pull off an old trick in the book and stretch his arms, putting them around Lelouch to hold him close. Have Lelouch rest his head on his shoulder like that one time he came over and dozed off while they watched a movie. 

His heart raced faster than a bullet train at the prospects. 

“If…” he bit his lip. “If you aren’t busy today, Lelouch, would you like to go with me?” 

_Okay,_ granted he didn’t _explicitly_ say it was a date, he could still pretend it was one, right? 

But in saying that, Suzaku wasn’t even sure if Lelouch would agree in the first place. _There was certainly nothing stopping him from-_

“Sure,” the raven shrugged, taking in the last drops of his coffee. “I can just ask Milly to stop by another time. She did mention there was nothing pressing she needed out of her bag and the same goes for me.” 

Breakfast went by with Gino proudly talking about a new organisation he had joined at the university and Suzaku excitedly brought up his expectations for his new position at Camelot Engineering, starting less than two weeks from now. 

Lelouch ended up going home for a change of clothes and to get ready before they made their way to the cinemas. While the brunet waited patiently in the raven’s living room, he admired the pictures that hung on the wall – mainly of Lelouch and Nunnally, and a couple with his friends. 

Unsurprisingly, there was only one with who he assumed were his parents, a family picture where Lelouch and Nunnally’s smiles didn’t quite reach their eyes. 

It seemed Lelouch took after his mother and Nunnally their father, but they were just very… different. 

The children of the Lamperouge family held a kind softness in their expressions that their parents evidently lacked, and leading the charge were their cold stares as they looked back at the camera for the photograph. 

The topic of family rarely came up ( _Nunnally_ being an exception, of course). It was a tough conversation for both males, with Lelouch essentially estranged from his family and with both of Suzaku’s parents passing away unexpectedly in a car crash a couple of years prior, left with no other family apart from his Uncle Tohdoh who resided in Japan. 

As far as they were concerned, family was a no-go subject, and they were both perfectly fine with that. 

Eventually, the raven emerged from his room, interrupting Suzaku’s thoughts. They made their way to one of the smaller cinemas in the city, handing over their coupons in exchange for their movie tickets and picking seats close to the back. 

When the movie started, filling the room with ominous music gradually growing louder and louder, creeping into the viewers’ senses, Lelouch tried to clear his throat as quietly as he could muster. 

“Suzaku… does this just happen to be a horror movie?” His voice was easily a couple of tones higher than usual, and green eyes wandered over to where the raven was biting his lip. 

“Yeah, everyone’s saying it’s going to be the horror movie of the decade,” the brunet whispered. He was pretty excited, having watched other movies by the same director in the past. He hasn’t been disappointed before and from the way the movie was starting, he wasn’t going to be now either. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine! Totally, definitely, _one hundred percent_ fine.” 

_Except…_ he really wasn’t. 

A couple of jump scares later, Lelouch was holding on to Suzaku’s hand for dear life, gripping it so tightly the brunet thought he was going to lose all circulation. 

When the movie finished, Lelouch was apologising profusely, “ _I… am so sorry.”_

“Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t like horror movies, you dummy?” 

Violet eyes averted its gaze to the floor. “Uhm. Well, I didn’t _know_ it was a horror movie to begin with.” 

Suzaku raised an eyebrow. “Because the creepy movie poster totally wasn’t an indication of it being a horror movie?” 

“You wanted to watch it,” Lelouch bit his lip. “Besides, it was your turn to pick the movie this time. You had free reign.” 

The brunet observed the taller male, finding him shaking slightly still. “You know, how about we skip dinner out and just hang at your place? We’ll watch some cartoons and get some take out.” 

Violet eyes widened. “You would do that?” 

“I’d even stay the night to scare the monsters away, if you’d like,” Suzaku winked. 

Lelouch rolled his eyes. “Careful, I might just take you up on your offer.” 

_And boy did Suzaku really want him to_ . 


	15. In which Lelouch digs into Milly’s shounen-ai collection and makes a few interesting discoveries

Violet eyes wandered up and down the stack of manga that Milly dragged over to his house. 

“What’s… this?” 

“My guilty pleasure,” Milly winked. “I am introducing you to the intricate beauty and wonder that is the world of _shounen-ai!_ ” 

Lelouch took one glance at the covers, realising immediately what they were about. “Uhm. I see… er, why did you bring these here?” 

“For research!” 

“Research?” 

“ _Research_ ,” Milly affirmed, setting it on the raven’s coffee table, and picking out a few, passing it over to Lelouch. “So that you can tell Suzaku you’re head over heels in love with him and we can all get along with our merry lives!” She muttered something under her breath, but Lelouch couldn’t hear her clearly. He caught a couple of words but wasn’t able to make out her full sentence. 

“What’s this about a bet?” 

Milly laughed, “Oh nothing! Just me being silly.” 

Some things just remained a mystery to Lelouch, one of which being Milly Ashford – quite possibly the quirkiest person he’s ever known. 

“Anyway,” the blonde Britannian sing-sang, “Read this one first because I think you could learn a thing or two from them! _And I’m off!_ ” 

“Milly, wait-“ The door slammed shut and the raven was left in his house, _alone_ , with Milly’s extensive gay manga collection. “Great.” His gaze landed on the paperback at the top of the pile Milly shoved in his arms, and he set everything else down. 

“Hm,” the raven paused, flipping from cover to cover. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.” 

*** 

“ _Oh my god, you idiot_ ,” Lelouch groaned, flipping the manga shut and slamming it on the coffee table. He buried his face in his hands. “You obviously like each other and for some reason, you two just keep _dragging it on_ , what a pain! This is almost _agonizing_ to read. It’s almost like-“ 

The raven’s eyes widened in realisation. “ _Oh_.” 

A sharp knock on the door broke him out of his spiralling thoughts, and it didn’t help that bright emerald eyes met his gaze opposite the door. 

“Oh, hello there Suzaku, I, uhm,” he cleared his throat, “-wasn’t expecting you here!” 

“You… invited me over?” Green eyes blinked. “If now is a bad time, it’s alright,” he turned around and the raven shook his head. 

“No! It’s fine. Sorry… I was just a little bit pre-occupied. Please stay,” Lelouch smiled nervously. 

Suzaku smiled, looking relieved as he stepped in the household, sitting in one of the spots on the couch. His gaze flicked over to the pile of paperbacks on the table and he cleared his throat, “Uhm, I didn’t know you were into… er, manga.” 

“These aren’t mine!” Lelouch said defensively. “They’re Milly’s and she dropped them off this morning for uhm… research!” He cleared his throat. “Besides, I wouldn’t read those normally… most of them cover the same tropes. Two people who _obviously_ have feelings for each other but won’t do anything about it.” 

Suzaku raised an eyebrow, a devilish smile playing on his lips. “Ah, isn’t that just frustrating?” 

“Yes! So _very_ frustrating. They just need to _get together_ , ah,” the raven ran his hands through his hair, sitting down next to the brunet. 

“What do you suppose they should do?” the Engineering graduate mused, waiting patiently for the other male’s response. 

Violet eyes blinked and suddenly Lelouch was finding it harder to breathe. “Well, I…” he licked his lips. “They should just tell each other how they feel.” 

_Was Suzaku always this close?_ The writer thought to himself as his attention flicked back to the other male. 

“What if they aren’t good with words?” 

Lelouch bit his lip. “Then… maybe a kiss would do. I mean, that should be enough, right?” Violet eyes focused on the hard wood floor, heart beating wildly in his chest. “You know what they say, actions speak louder than words!” 

Suzaku chuckled, “So you’re saying a kiss is a sufficient profession of love? That’s an interesting sentiment.” 

The writer nodded. 

“And that if you can’t say how you feel, you should just show it, am I right?” 

“Yeah, that’s the logical response, isn’t it?” 

“So that means I should probably just kiss you, right?” 

“Probably. Hang on, what-“ 

Suzaku closed the gap between them, and all Lelouch could think of at that very moment was how soft his lips felt and how warm the other male was. 

The brunet held the writer’s face gently, deepening the kiss and moving closer to Lelouch. 

“I like you,” Suzaku breathed out when he pulled away, licking his lips. “I’ve liked you for a long time and I just _can’t keep it bottled up like this anymore._ ” 

Lelouch touched his lips in a daze, violet eyes blinking. “I… like you too, Suzaku.” 

Emerald eyes shone brightly with determination. “Go on a date with me?” 

The raven chuckled. “ _Yes_ , always.” 

“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but apparently everyone’s placed bets on us,” Suzaku laughed. “Unfortunately for Milly, I believe she’s just lost.” 

“Ah, I feel sorry for her after going through so much for me,” Lelouch sighed. “But then again, she shouldn’t be betting on her friend’s love life in the first place. That’ll teach her!” 

The brunet shook his head playfully. “Speaking of Milly, she told me to go bug you about your new book… said something about the rough plot being due in a couple of days. I don’t think if it’ll make a difference that I remind you though,” he looked at the other male expectedly, slinging an arm around the raven’s shoulders and pulling him close. 

“Oh, but it does make all the difference,” Lelouch grinned. “I think I might branch into a little bit of romance and try my hand at a new genre,” he shrugged, leaning his head against the brunet’s shoulder, “I have this rough idea in my head, actually. I’ve been working on it for the past few days. I think I’d like it to start… in a coffee shop.” 


End file.
